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NDLEA arrests 74-year-old man with cocaine concealed in food item

Maureen Ikpeama3154 mins


A 74-year-old man, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, has been arrested by the Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency( NDLEA) for allegedly attempting to smuggle 11 kilograms of cocaine concealed in food items at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.


He was arrested on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the airport’s departure hall while preparing to board a British Airways flight BA082 bound for Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom.


NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, officers discovered the illicit substance during a search of the suspect’s luggage.
Babafemi disclosed that the cocaine was wrapped in foil papers and balloons and carefully concealed inside food items, including ground dry pepper, in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
The suspect reportedly claimed he was travelling to London for vacation before the drugs were uncovered by operatives.


In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Lagos arrested a woman, Maryam Olalowo, at a hotel on Victoria Island while allegedly attempting to sell 89 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of a cannabis strain known as Canadian Loud. She was reportedly with her three children, including an infant, at the time of the arrest.


Babafemi said the woman claimed the drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, who was later arrested the same day. Investigations revealed that the man had previously been arrested, convicted and sentenced to two and a half years in prison in 2015 for a similar offence.


The agency also recorded additional seizures and arrests in different parts of the country. In Lagos Island, two suspects were arrested after operatives recovered 68,000 tramadol pills loaded in a truck allegedly bound for Benin Republic. A follow-up raid at Idumota Market led to the arrest of another suspect believed to be the owner of the consignment.


Another operation at the market resulted in the arrest of a suspect with 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection.

In separate operations, NDLEA officers arrested two other suspects with large quantities of skunk in Kano and Abuja. Authorities also raided a forest reserve in Edo State where they destroyed more than four tonnes of the substance cultivated on farms.
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officials, working with customs officers, intercepted 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup hidden inside two containers that had been placed under surveillance following intelligence reports.


The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Buba Marwa, commended officers in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Edo states for their efforts in combating drug trafficking and urged them to sustain the crackdown on illicit drug supply and abuse across the country.

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