NDLEA Uncovers Cocaine Bound for UK hidden in cream containers, Raids Night Club, Arrests ‘Pretty Mike’, Others
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted several consignments of illicit drugs concealed in ingenious ways across different parts of the country, including cocaine packed in cream containers bound for London, methamphetamine hidden in a coffee tea pack at Enugu Airport, and tramadol concealed in a water heater in Kwara State.
According to a statement issued on Sunday, 26th October 2025, by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, the seizures were made following extensive intelligence-led operations that also led to multiple arrests, including that of popular Lagos socialite, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, better known as Pretty Mike, during a drug party raid in Victoria Island.
At the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA operatives discovered 70 parcels of cocaine, weighing 3.60 kilograms, neatly concealed within walls of cocoa butter formula body cream containers.
The illicit cargo, destined for London aboard an Air Peace flight, was intercepted on 14th October during a routine examination of export consignments declared as personal effects.
A cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who presented the shipment for airfreight, was promptly arrested. Subsequent investigations over a two-week period led to the arrest of two key suspects – Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah, a healthcare worker, and Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, Chief Executive Officer of Mutiu Adebiyi & Co travel agency – both of whom were linked to the attempted exportation.
In a separate operation at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, NDLEA officers intercepted Lemena Mark, a 35-year-old national of Lesotho, attempting to export 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed within a Diabeta herbs coffee tea pack to the Philippines. The arrest, made on 22nd October, thwarted the smuggling attempt and further investigations are ongoing.
Similarly, operatives in Kwara State recovered 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg ingeniously hidden inside a 100-litre water heater.
The suspect, Umar Abubakar, aged 40, was apprehended at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area following credible intelligence on 21st October.
Further north, NDLEA operatives in Taraba State arrested Auwal Musa (26) and Salihu Bala (22) at Dan-anacha checkpoint with 450,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 concealed in a truck transporting building materials from Onitsha to Mubi.
In Kogi State, 162.2kg of skunk (a potent strain of cannabis) was seized along the Okene-Lokoja highway, while 128kg of the same substance was recovered from Abubakar Muhammad (55) in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
In the early hours of Sunday, 26th October, NDLEA stormed Proxy Night Club at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where a drug-themed party was underway.
Acting on prior intelligence, operatives infiltrated the gathering and disrupted it around 3:00 a.m., recovering cartons of Loud (a high-grade strain of cannabis) and laughing gas from the venue.
Over 100 individuals were arrested for screening, including the club owner, Pretty Mike, who is known for his flamboyant lifestyle and social appearances. NDLEA confirmed that the operation was conducted in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The agency also reported the arrest of Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, a mother of two and major distributor of imported Loud variants in Lagos. She was arrested on 17th October during a raid at her Lekki residence, where 500 grams of the substance were recovered.
In Ikorodu, Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe was apprehended after NDLEA officers discovered 275 litres of skuchies, a psychoactive cocktail made from blackcurrant drink, cannabis, and opioids, at his Solomade Estate home.
In Abia State, a 75-year-old man, Echendu Onuoka, and a 60-year-old woman, Aukana John, were arrested in Obingwa Local Government Area with 4.7kg and 225 grams of skunk respectively. Similar raids across Ondo, Kaduna, and Seme border areas yielded hundreds of kilogrammes of cannabis and other illicit substances.
In Zamfara State, operatives intercepted a suspect, Abubakar Ibrahim (30), in possession of an AK-47 rifle and 1,746 rounds of assorted ammunition en route to Bagega forest in Anka Local Government Area. The suspect and the exhibits were handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, worship centres, and communities nationwide. Recent lectures were held in Oyo, Kebbi, Enugu, Benue, Taraba, Rivers, and Kano States, targeting students and teachers with messages on the dangers of substance abuse.
Commending the agency’s operatives for their diligence and professionalism, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), praised the coordinated efforts across commands and urged continued commitment to the agency’s “balanced approach” to drug control — combining enforcement with public enlightenment.
“Our officers must continue to uphold the highest standards in the ongoing war against drug abuse and trafficking. Every arrest and seizure reinforces the message that there is no hiding place for traffickers in Nigeria,” Marwa stated.
The NDLEA’s latest series of operations reflect its relentless efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and prevent Nigeria from being used as a transit or distribution hub for illicit drugs.
