NDLEA Intercepts Saudi, UK-Bound Cocaine In Lipsticks, Property Title Documents

OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted cocaine consignments cleverly concealed in lipsticks and property title documents bound for the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, respectively.

The illicit consignments were seized from cargo being prepared for shipment at a courier company in Lagos on Thursday, 3rd July 2025, by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) attached to the logistics firm.

A total of 420 grammes of cocaine factory-fitted into 84 pieces of female lipsticks destined for the UK were intercepted, while another 280 grammes of the Class A drug were discovered inside a property title document (Certificate of Occupancy) being shipped to Saudi Arabia.

In a separate breakthrough, a notorious drug kingpin, Ajetsibo Emami, popularly known as Warri Kinsman, and younger brother of prominent Warri chief Ayirimi Emami, was arrested in Ikeja, Lagos on Saturday, 28th June. His arrest followed a three-day NDLEA operation that dismantled his drug network. Recovered from the syndicate were 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 414.2kg.

Meanwhile, a family-run drug cartel was busted in Lagos following the arrest of businessman Ajah Johnson Uchenna and his wife Rosemary Uchenna, initially apprehended on Friday, 13th June by the Department of State Services (DSS) in the Ojo area and later handed over to the NDLEA with 277.5kg of skunk.

While investigations were ongoing, credible intelligence led NDLEA operatives to raid their residence and a packing store on Tuesday, 1st July, where another 231kg of skunk was recovered. Three additional suspects—Ngozi Uchenna and Blessing Uchenna (daughters of the couple) and family friend Okoro Elijah—were arrested for continuing the illicit trade in the couple’s absence.

At Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, on Wednesday, 2nd July, NDLEA operatives intercepted a frequent flyer, Aburemi Hysent, who was found with 7,660 pills of tramadol (225mg and 200mg) hidden inside food items. He confessed to being promised €800 for delivering the consignment to Italy.

In another airport operation, a consignment of 52 travellers’ cheques worth AUD 17.7 million, concealed in children’s books and bound for Malaysia via Turkish Airlines, was intercepted on Friday, 4th July. A freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed, was arrested in connection with the suspected counterfeit cheques, which are to be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.

On Saturday, 5th July, NDLEA officers at Seme border, Badagry, recovered 718 large balls of skunk weighing 359kg from a store in the Baba-Pupa area. Elsewhere, along the Okene-Lokoja highway, 10,000 pills of tramadol and co-codamol, and 1.050kg of Colorado (a synthetic strain of cannabis), were intercepted, leading to the arrest of Chinedu Odo, Samuel Ogbonna, and Kingsley Ugaji during a follow-up operation at Jabi Park, Abuja.

In Osun State, multiple raids yielded significant seizures:

On Thursday, 3rd July, Agunbiade Folusho (40) and Suleiman Dasola (28) were arrested at Ajegunle, Osogbo with 13,901 pills and ampoules of opioids.

On the same day, Adebayo Adewale (50) was arrested at a patent medicine shop in Ile-Ife with 48,205 pills of opioids.

A raid on a vulcaniser’s workshop at Akindeko Junction, Alekuwodo, Osogbo on Tuesday, 1st July led to the arrest of Wasiu Ajadi (45), Babatunde Jamiu Ojo (35), and Yusuf Sarafadeen (39) with 1,250 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 850 pills of tramadol, and three bottles of codeine-based syrup.

A cannabis farm covering 9.67 hectares in Ikaka, Oke-Ila forest, Osun State, was destroyed, with 24,175kg of skunk incinerated. Seven suspects, including Bunmi Adedapo (41) and Adebisi Sodiq (26), were arrested.

In Borno State, 167kg of skunk was recovered in Gamboru-Ngala, while another 452kg was seized on the Zaria-Kano road near Gadar Tamburawa. Suspects Nasuru Saleh and Mustapha Muhammad were arrested.

NDLEA operatives along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway intercepted 11,000 pills of tramadol 225mg from Sule Ibrahim Sadiq (30) on 3rd July. In Sokoto, 62-year-old Joseph Onungene was arrested with 4,800 pills of tramadol.

In Kebbi State, NDLEA raided a base in Bakin Kasuwa Yauri, seizing 312kg of skunk and 10,000 tablets of diazepam. In Taraba, Chigbo Okolo (52) and Ishaku Musa (28) were arrested in Mallum, Ardo-Kola LGA with 49,930 capsules of tramadol.

In Edo State, operatives stormed Ewere Forest, Owan West LGA, arresting wanted suspect Alaba Monday (49) with 115kg of processed skunk. Three others—Shamsu Abdullahi, Peter Egboko, and Justin John—were also arrested at another cannabis farm measuring 2.050 hectares.

A 78-year-old, Mike Abeng, was arrested in Ofudua, Obubra LGA, Cross River State, with 14.49kg of skunk and tramadol. Others arrested during the raid include Oyom Akam (50), Sylvester Odem (40) and Moses Ayo (50).

Meanwhile, NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy continued across the country. Awareness lectures were held at Queen of Angel Secondary School, Mgbidi, Enugu; Divine Purpose College, Eyita, Ikorodu, Lagos; Al-Furqan College, Kankia, Katsina; and in Gomari Binta Suga Community, Maiduguri, among others.

Commending the efforts, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), praised the agency’s operatives across various commands for maintaining a strong balance between drug supply suppression and public advocacy.