The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dealt a significant blow to international drug trafficking networks with the interception of cocaine consignments cleverly concealed in female lipsticks and property title documents destined for the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
The seizures, announced on Sunday, July 6, 2025, highlight the agency’s ongoing efforts to curb the smuggling of illicit drugs from Nigeria.
According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) uncovered the consignments on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at a courier company in Lagos.
A total of 420 grams of cocaine was found factory-fitted into 84 pieces of female lipsticks bound for the UK, while an additional 280 grams was hidden inside a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) intended for shipment to Saudi Arabia.
The sophisticated concealment methods underscore the lengths to which traffickers go to evade detection.
In a separate operation, the NDLEA dismantled a major drug trafficking network in Lagos, culminating in the arrest of notorious drug kingpin Ajetsibo Emami, alias “Warri Kinsman,” on June 28, 2025.
Following a three-day intelligence-led operation, Emami and three associates were apprehended in Ikeja, with authorities seizing 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 414.2 kilograms.
The bust followed credible intelligence about Emami’s plans to distribute the shipment from Lekki across Lagos and beyond.
Further operations at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos revealed additional illicit activities.
On July 2, NDLEA operatives intercepted Aburemi Hysent, a frequent flyer specializing in transporting goods between Nigeria and Italy. Hysent was caught with 7,660 tramadol pills (225mg and 200mg) concealed in food items, confessing he was promised €800 for successful delivery in Italy.
On July 4, authorities seized 52 suspected counterfeit travelers’ cheques worth AU$17.7 million, hidden in children’s books and bound for Malaysia via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight.
The freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed, was arrested and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
The NDLEA’s nationwide crackdown extended beyond Lagos. At the Seme border in Badagry, operatives recovered 718 large balls of skunk weighing 359 kilograms from a store in the Baba-Pupa area on July 5.
In Osun State, a raid on a 9.67-hectare cannabis farm in the Oke-Ila forest destroyed 24,175 kilograms of skunk, with seven suspects arrested.
Additional seizures included 167 kilograms of skunk in Borno, 452 kilograms in Kano, and various quantities of tramadol and diazepam in Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Taraba.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the operatives for their vigilance and balanced approach to drug supply and demand reduction.
“These seizures and arrests reflect the commitment of our officers across multiple commands,” Marwa said, urging sustained efforts to disrupt trafficking networks.
The operations also uncovered a family-run drug syndicate in Lagos, involving businessman Ajah Johnson Uchenna, his wife Rosemary, their daughters Stella and Ngozi, and a family friend, Okoro Elijah.
The family was linked to 508.5 kilograms of skunk seized in two raids, following their initial arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS) on June 13.
These successes come amid the NDLEA’s broader War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, which includes public sensitization campaigns in Lagos, Enugu, Katsina, and Borno to reduce drug demand.
As investigations continue, the NDLEA’s actions send a strong message to traffickers: Nigeria’s borders and airports remain under intense scrutiny, with no room for illicit activities to go undetected.
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