NDLEA arrests India-bound businessman with cocaine, recovers N3.6bn drugs in Lagos

Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a significant amount of illicit drugs in Lagos, arresting a businessman and dismantling drug stockpiles. The agency reported the arrest of Nwankwo Onyebuchi, 48, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport as he attempted to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi with 1.550kg of cocaine concealed in his luggage.

Onyebuchi, who reportedly sold his marble business and other assets for N23 million to acquire the consignment, expected to make N100 million in India. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi stated that the suspect confessed to the desperation fueling the drug trade. He remains in custody pending prosecution.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in the Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos, uncovering a massive stockpile of codeine-based syrup. A total of 3,776 cartons, containing 377,600 bottles, were recovered, with an estimated value exceeding N2.6 billion. This seizure occurred between August 7th and 8th, 2026.

Further bolstering the agency's success, an intelligence-led raid on August 14th targeted the residence of a suspected kingpin, Shoremi Kayode, 55, in the Ipaja area. Operatives recovered 324 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis strain, with a street value of N972 million. A Mercedes-Benz and a Toyota Corolla were also seized from his property. The NDLEA also reported drug seizures and arrests in Kwara, Oyo, Delta, Plateau, Kano, and Edo states, indicating a broad crackdown on drug trafficking networks across the country.

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In a candid confession that lays bare the desperation that fuels the drug trade, Nwankwo said he had sold off his marble business and every asset he owned to raise the ₦23 million he paid for the consignment, with the expectation of selling it in India for as much as N100 million.