Nosa Aituamen
Operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two brothers—John Abugu, 43, and Kenneth Abugu, 31—at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle cocaine to India.
The suspects were apprehended on Thursday, 3rd April 2025, following credible intelligence and proactive surveillance. According to NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the brothers claimed they were travelling to India for medical treatment. However, a thorough search of their suitcases by NDLEA officers revealed 5 kilograms of cocaine concealed within the walls of their luggage.
In a separate operation the same day, NDLEA operatives from the MMIA Strategic Command intercepted a 20-year-old Ghanaian-British national, Parker Darren Hazekia Osei, with 36 parcels of “Loud”—a potent strain of cannabis—hidden in a large travel bag. The seized substance weighed 19.40 kilograms.
Osei, who claimed to be a Computer Science student at East London University in the UK, was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers arriving via an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand.
In his statement, the suspect said he resides in the UK with his parents but had travelled to Bangkok a week earlier, where he received the cannabis consignment, allegedly to deliver it in Nigeria.
The NDLEA has reiterated its commitment to intensifying efforts to curb drug trafficking and ensure that Nigeria does not become a transit or destination hub for illicit substances.