NDLEA Arrests Ugandan Woman With 87 Cocaine Wraps Concealed in Private Parts

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Farida Nansubuga, with 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes allegedly concealed around her pelvic region as she attempted to smuggle the drugs out of Nigeria.

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at the screening point of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while preparing to board a flight to Uganda.

According to the NDLEA, Nansubuga had arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State.

However, while the other members of her delegation returned to Uganda after the religious programme, she allegedly remained behind to collect a cocaine consignment for a friend identified as Joy, who resides in Uganda.

The agency said she was intercepted during a joint passenger screening operation involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel.

A preliminary body search reportedly revealed suspicious material around her pelvic region, prompting officers to take her to a designated private search room, where 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15kg were recovered.

The drugs were allegedly strapped around her pelvic region and secured beneath two layers of underwear.

During interrogation, the suspect reportedly claimed that her Ugandan contact had linked her with a Nigerian associate who arranged transportation to a hotel on the morning of her scheduled departure.

She alleged that the unidentified man handed her the cocaine and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing to evade airport security checks.

Although no specific payment had been agreed, she reportedly expected to receive at least $1,000 upon successfully delivering the consignment.

In another major interception at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives uncovered 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and valued at about N900 million.

The opioid consignment, which arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on November 3, was falsely declared as Paracetamol 500mg tablets.

The shipment, comprising 11 cartons packed in two wooden structures, was placed under surveillance after officers became suspicious of the import declaration.

A joint examination involving the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on November 6 revealed that 10 of the cartons contained the prohibited opioid tablets, while only one contained paracetamol tablets allegedly used to disguise the shipment.

The agency also intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 16.15kg, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated cargo that arrived from Houston, Texas, United States, aboard a Turkish Airlines flight.

A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who initially presented himself to clear the consignment, was arrested, while a follow-up operation on November 6 led to the arrest of a 34-year-old Ibadan-based caterer, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, who arrived to collect the package.

Ojo reportedly claimed that he was sent by a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun.

Similarly, the agency dismantled a suspected syndicate involved in importing chemicals used in the production of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, from the United Kingdom.

The operation followed the interception of nine parcels concealed in two cartons of snacks labelled “Michael Tea Guy”, which arrived aboard an Air Peace flight from the UK on October 23.

While two of the parcels contained 1.2kg of cannabis, forensic analysis confirmed that the remaining seven contained chemicals used in producing synthetic cannabis.

A 51-year-old freight agent, Afolabi Abiodun Wale, was arrested while attempting to clear the consignment.

Two additional cartons addressed to the same recipient subsequently arrived aboard an Allied Air flight, prompting a sting operation between October 26 and 28, which led to the arrest of another 51-year-old suspect, Okwuite Benjamin Ojone, when he attempted to take delivery.

A search of the cartons uncovered three parcels weighing 3.3kg concealed in detergent packs and 11 plastic bottles containing mainly liquid substances weighing 16.25kg.

The combined seizures from the two shipments comprised 1.2kg of cannabis and 28.65kg of chemicals suspected to be used in producing synthetic cannabis.

At courier companies in Lagos, NDLEA operatives also intercepted 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2kg concealed in two cartons destined for the United Kingdom on November 3.

Other interceptions included 296 tablets of Swinol destined for Australia and three separate consignments of tramadol intended for the UK.

The tramadol shipments comprised 20 capsules intercepted in Benin City, 96 capsules in Sapele, Delta State, concealed in vitamin C containers, and 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg intercepted in Asaba, concealed inside female headwear.

Beyond airport and courier interceptions, the agency recorded several arrests and seizures across the country.

In Lagos, a 32-year-old suspect, Abubakar Ali, was arrested at Marine Beach, Apapa, on November 6, following the discovery of a drug storage facility concealed inside a small store built within his sitting room.

Items recovered included 1.06kg of Tramadol 250mg, 1.27kg of Tramadol 225mg, 400 grammes of pregabalin capsules, 355 grammes of diazepam, 200 millilitres of codeine and 6.07kg of cannabis.

In Ondo State, operatives raided Odofin Road, Uso, where they recovered 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818kg. The operation followed another raid at Board Forest, where officers destroyed a one-hectare cannabis plantation, recovered 242kg of the substance and arrested a 36-year-old suspect, Itoro Linus Akpan.

In neighbouring Ekiti State, a 53-year-old man, Agbo Paul Peter, was arrested at Osin Forest, Osin-Ekiti, on November 5 with 216kg of cannabis and cannabis seeds.

Edo State also recorded multiple operations, including the interception of a Volkswagen Golf saloon car conveying 19 bags of cannabis weighing 201kg along the Auchi-Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.

The driver, Abdulmumid Isah, 39, and a passenger, Danako Godwin, 25, were arrested.

In a separate raid on a suspected drug distribution joint along Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City, three suspects were arrested with quantities of Colorado, Loud and cannabis.

In Taraba State, three suspects were arrested within two days at the NDLEA checkpoint in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area, with 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255kg.

The arrests involved Ibrahim Abdullahi, 45, with 156 blocks weighing 149.275kg; Kabiru Usman, 25, with 80 blocks weighing 40.07kg; and Babangida Babayo, 32, with 47 blocks weighing 36.91kg.

In Enugu State, officers arrested 57-year-old Celestine Uzochukwu Ejiakor at Eke Obinagu checkpoint on November 3 with 44 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.5kg.

Another suspect, Godwin Shaapera, 40, was arrested at Ugwuoba checkpoint with 24,000 capsules of tramadol weighing 13.4kg and 697 grammes of ketamine.

In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested Edugua Othuke, 30, at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, with 10.54kg of skunk, 9.4kg of cannabis seeds and 4.3 grammes of methamphetamine.

Another suspect, Akpofure Tobore, 34, was arrested at Upper Agbarho, Ughelli, with quantities of skunk, tramadol, Rohypnol and nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.

Meanwhile, the agency said its commands across the country sustained public enlightenment campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse initiative, targeting schools, religious institutions, workplaces and communities.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the agency’s commands involved in the operations, particularly those in Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Taraba and Enugu states.

Marwa described the arrest of the Ugandan woman as a reminder that international drug trafficking networks were increasingly exploiting religious activities and travel arrangements to recruit unsuspecting or willing couriers.

He said the case demonstrated the lengths to which drug cartels could go to move illicit substances across international borders, urging officers nationwide to sustain efforts to disrupt drug supply chains while intensifying public awareness and demand-reduction campaigns.