BUSINESSMAN SELLS ASSETS TO FUND ₦23 MILLION COCAINE DEAL, ARRESTED AT LAGOS AIRPORT

By: Muftau Fatimo

A 48-year-old businessman, Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos while allegedly attempting to travel to New Delhi, India, with 1.550 kilograms of cocaine concealed in his luggage.

Onyebuchi, who deals in marbles in Lagos, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal II of the airport while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi.

According to the statement by NDLEA, the cocaine was cleverly concealed within the side walls and railings of his check-in bag.

The agency said the arrest was made as part of its operations against the illegal drug trade.

During interrogation, Onyebuchi reportedly disclosed that he had sold his marble business and every asset he owned to raise the sum of ₦23 million which he paid for the cocaine consignment.

He was allegedly hoping to sell the drugs in India for as much as ₦100 million.

With the arrest, the businessman’s plan to make quick money from the illicit drug trade was brought to an end. He remains in custody and is awaiting prosecution.

The NDLEA also reported the seizure of a large quantity of codeine-based syrup in another operation carried out in Lagos.

Operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a warehouse located within a residential compound at 20 Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos.

The operation, conducted between Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, 2026, resulted in the seizure of 3,776 cartons containing 377,600 bottles of the controlled substance.

The recovered codeine-based syrup was valued at more than ₦2.6 billion.

In another intelligence-led operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of a 55-year-old alleged drug kingpin, Shoremi Kayode, at 37 Ogundare Street, Ipaja Estate, Ipaja area of Lagos.

The raid, conducted on Wednesday, August 14, resulted in the recovery of 324 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a street value of ₦972 million.

Operatives also recovered a Mercedes-Benz car and a Toyota Corolla car from the suspect.

In Kwara State, two suspects, Abubakar Adamu, 50, and Bilyaminu Nuhu, 30, were arrested at the Kam Wire area of Ilorin on Thursday, August 13.

The suspects were arrested with 55.96kg of skunk in a truck marked DKA 350 XL.

Also in Oyo State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ibadan arrested two other suspects, 70-year-old Abdulfatai Oyelaran and Abdulrauf Ajadi, 50, on Wednesday, August 12.

A search of their Toyota Sienna vehicle, marked FFA-115KA, led to the recovery of 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection.

In another operation along the Onitsha/Asaba Expressway on Thursday, August 13, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Osaro Ikpoba, 43, and Samuel Godbless, 18.

The agency said the suspects were found with 124,100 pills of tramadol, 786 bottles of codeine syrup, 2,598 tablets of rohypnol, 4,800 tablets of diazepam, 470 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of tramadol injection.

Another suspect, Emeka Tony, 50, was arrested along the Kwale/Ozoro Expressway on Wednesday, August 12.

NDLEA operatives recovered 1,244 pieces of cartridges and a monetary exhibit of ₦8 million from him.

In Plateau State, a Toyota Corolla car with registration number MKD 341 EA was intercepted along the Riyom/Jos Road, Jos.

The operation led to the recovery of 239,490 capsules of Tramaforce, a brand of tramadol, while a suspect identified as Kasum Sherif was arrested.

Meanwhile, six suspects were arrested by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Zaria-Kano Road in Kano State on Monday, August 10.

They were identified as Okodili Ibeabuchi, 60; Onyeka Vincent, 47; Nwanko Wisdom, 36; Success Chigozie, 30; Emmanuel Jude, 27; and Chinedu Peter, 39.

According to the agency, large consignments of opioids were recovered from the suspects, including 728,958 pills of tramadol, rohypnol and other substances.

The operatives also recovered 360 grams of cocaine, 99.8 grams of methamphetamine, 50 bottles of codeine syrup and 2.7 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.

In another operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 14, raided Zawaciki Gida Dubu in Kumbotso Local Government Area.

The raid resulted in the recovery of 171 blocks of skunk weighing 106.8kg.

Two suspects, Mustapha Iliya, 30, and Abdulwahab Abdulrashid, 24, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed a total of 4,628.9775kg of skunk found on two cannabis farms measuring 1.851591 hectares at Ugboku/Igbanke forest in Orhionmwon Local Government Area.

A suspect, Agholor Elebojie, 40, was arrested in one of the farms during a raid carried out by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, August 12.

Also in Edo, another suspect, Kingsley Anigala, 28, was arrested during a raid on drug joints in the Oluku area of Benin City on Friday, August 14.

The agency said 25.857kg of Loud and 93 grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers, men and women of the MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta Commands for the arrests and seizures recorded during the week.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), also commended officers and personnel across the agency’s commands nationwide for maintaining a balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, the statement said.