Angolan businessman caught smuggling 120 wraps of Clcocaine at Kano airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a 42-year-old businessman from Angola, Mbala Dajou Abuba, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) while attempting to transport a significant quantity of cocaine to Istanbul, Turkey.

According to a statement issued by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, Abuba, who hails from Zaire province, was arrested on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at the airport’s screening point before boarding Egypt Air flight MS 880 to Istanbul via Cairo.

“After his body scan result confirmed he ingested illicit drug, he was thereafter placed under excretion observation during which he expelled 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms in seven excretions. In his statement, the suspect claimed he was into the business of township delivery services in Angola before delving into the illicit drug trade,” the statement said.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos foiled an attempt by auto parts dealer Okeke Igwe to smuggle cocaine to Angola.

“During an interview with the suspect, he claimed that he is a businessman selling auto parts in ASPANDA, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos,” the statement continued.

Another operation led to the arrest of Ezechi Iyke Cyprian, who was allegedly transporting 5.40 kilograms of cocaine to Owerri, Imo State, in a Toyota Sienna bus on Sunday, February 23. The NDLEA said his arrest followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance.

Meanwhile, at Lagos’ Tincan seaport, officers discovered 128 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, hidden inside two mattresses in the trunk of a Toyota Venza imported from Canada.

“The discovery of the 63.75kg consignment was made during a joint examination of a targeted container marked TCNU 1945861 from Montreal, Canada, by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies. The consignee of the shipment, 44-year-old Bamidele Joseph has been arrested and taken into custody.

“In Delta state, NDLEA operatives supported by the military on Thursday 27th February stormed a forest in Innam-Abbi/Orogun community, Ndokwa West local government area where they destroyed over 50,000kg cannabis on a 20-hectare farm land. Five suspects arrested during the raid include: Augustine Subaru, 45; Ukoba Malachukwu, 53; Odalonu Emmanuel, 40; Esuabom Macaulay, 35; and Itoje Safe, 54.

“In another operation in Delta, NDLEA operatives on Friday 28th February intercepted a Mercedes Benz truck marked AWK 791 ZJ  along Abraka-Orogun road. A search of the truck led to the recovery of 101 bags of skunk with a total weight of 1,111kg.

“In Edo state, NDLEA officers supported by the military on Saturday 1st March raided the Okpuje community in Owan West LGA where they destroyed over 100 jumbo bags of skunk in warehouses and recovered a total of 1,409.5kg of the psychoactive substance for the prosecution of arrested suspects: Oikelomen Osere Monday, 38 and Glory Iroyo, 42.

“While a suspect, Michael Omoloki, 46, was arrested with 58.5 kilograms of skunk at the Ibadan end of the Lagos -Ibadan expressway, Oyo state, operatives in Kwara state on Monday 24th February nabbed a Beninoise Lawali Mohammed with 2,980 tablets of tramadol and dozens of diazepam pills at Eiyenkorin expressway, Ilorin.

“In Osun, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Ibadan/ Gbongan expressway on Thursday 27th February intercepted a consignment of 1.05kg skunk concealed in detergent soap and biscuit carton, while Sunday Ogbu, 45, was arrested in connection with the seizure. A suspect Ayuba Mustapha, 30, was arrested at Tsafe, Zamfara state with 24,700 pills of tramadol on Sunday 23rd February.

“In Borno state, Mustapha Shettima, 50, was arrested by NDLEA operatives with 31kg skunk, 1,000 pills of tramadol and N720,000 monetary exhibit along Bama road, Maiduguri on Wednesday 26th February, while Adamu Idris, 40, was nabbed along Zaria road, Kano, same day with 140 blocks of cannabis weighing 73.5kg,” the statement added.