NDLEA uncovers Saudi, UK-bound cocaine in lipsticks, docs, seizes $17.7m in travellers’ cheques

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple shipments of illicit drugs and counterfeit monetary instruments destined for foreign countries, including the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Malaysia, and Australia.

In a coordinated operation on Thursday, July 3, 2025, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), working at a courier facility in Lagos, seized two separate cocaine consignments.

According to a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, officers recovered 420 grams of cocaine embedded in 84 pieces of female lipstick headed to the UK, as well as 280 grams of cocaine concealed inside a property title document (Certificate of Occupancy) intended for Saudi Arabia.

Also on the radar of the anti-narcotics agency was a man identified as Ajetsibo Emami, alias “Warri Kinsman”, who was arrested in Ikeja, Lagos, on Saturday, June 28.

“(Alleged) notorious drug kingpin Ajetsibo Emami popularly known as ‘Warri Kinsman’ was on Saturday 28th June arrested in Ikeja Lagos after NDLEA operatives dismantled his drug trafficking network in a three-day operation leading to the arrest of three other suspects. Recovered from Emami’s network were 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 414.2 kilograms.”

The operation followed actionable intelligence regarding the movement of the cannabis to Lekki, Lagos, for distribution across the state and beyond.

In another Lagos-based sting, NDLEA detained businessman Ajah Uchenna, his wife Rosemary Uchenna, their daughters Stella and Ngozi, and a family friend, Okoro Elijah. The entire group is alleged to have been running a family-centered drug trafficking syndicate in the state.

“While they were still being investigated in custody, credible intelligence revealed that the family business was going on in his house. This led to a raid of their home and a packing store where 231kg of same substance was recovered on Tuesday 1st July. Three persons arrested during the raid include their two daughters: Ngozi Uchenna and Blessing Uchenna as well as their family friend Okoro Elijah, who were running the family business in the absence of the couple,” the statement said.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, operatives intercepted a man identified as Aburemi Hysent on July 2. The frequent traveler, who allegedly moves goods between Nigeria and Italy, was found with 7,660 pills of tramadol hidden in food items among other packaged goods.

He reportedly told investigators he was promised 800 euros for successful delivery.

In a separate airport seizure on July 4, officers discovered counterfeit travelers’ cheques worth 17.7 million Australian dollars concealed in children’s books. The books were bound for Malaysia via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight. A freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed, has been taken into custody.

“The travelers cheques suspected to be counterfeit and the suspect will be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation.”

NDLEA operatives across Nigeria also recorded seizures and arrests in several other regions: At Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, 718 balls of skunk weighing 359kg were confiscated from a storage facility in Baba-Pupa.

Along the Okene-Lokoja highway, 10,000 pills of tramadol and co-codamol, as well as over 1kg of synthetic cannabis (Colorado), were intercepted. Follow-up operations led to the arrest of Chinedu Odo, Samuel Ogbonna, and Kingsley Ugaji in Abuja.

In Osun State, multiple raids led to the arrest of suspects and recovery of thousands of opioid pills. One bust in Ile-Ife uncovered 48,205 pills from a patent medicine shop.

At Osogbo’s Akindeko Junction, a vulcanizer’s shop was found to house 1,250 ampoules of pentazocine, 850 tramadol pills, and three bottles of codeine syrup.

In the Oke-Ila forest, Osun, NDLEA destroyed 24,175kg of skunk on a 9.67-hectare farm and arrested seven suspects.

“In Borno, 167kg of skunk was recovered at Gamboru-Ngala, while a total of 452kg of same psychoactive substance was seized at Gadar Tamburawa along Zaria-Kano road with two suspects: Nasuru Saleh and Mustapha Muhammad arrested in connection with the seizure on Thursday 3rd July.”

On the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, NDLEA said it recovered 11,000 tramadol pills from Sule Ibrahim Sadiq. In Sokoto, 62-year-old Joseph Onungene was also arrested in possession of 4,800 tramadol pills.

“In Kebbi, agents raided a Yauri-based hideout, seizing 312kg of skunk and 10,000 diazepam tablets. Two individuals, Chigbo Okolo and Ishaku Musa, were arrested in Taraba State with nearly 50,000 tramadol capsules.
“In Edo state, NDLEA operatives raided the Ewere forest in Owan West LGA where they arrested a wanted suspect, Alaba Monday, 49, in one of his cannabis farms with 115kg of processed skunk, while three other suspects: Shamsu Abdullahi; Peter Egboko; and Justin John were nabbed in another farm measuring 2.050201 hectares.
“In Cross River, a 78-year-old man, Mike Abeng, was found with over 14kg of skunk and tramadol in Obubra LGA. Additional arrests in the area included Oyom Akam, Sylvester Odem, and Moses Ayo,” the statement said.