NDLEA arrests Brazil businessman, seizes massive drug haul

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced a series of nationwide operations resulting in multiple arrests and the seizure of large quantities of illicit drugs, including a significant interdiction of liquid cocaine at Lagos's international airport. The operations, detailed in a statement on Sunday, June 14, 2026, spanned at least ten states and the Federal Capital Territory over the preceding week.

A central arrest involved Abugu Ikechukwu, a 41-year-old businessman based in São Paulo, Brazil. He was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday, June 11, upon arrival from Brazil via Ethiopia. A search of his luggage allegedly led to the recovery of 14 towels and shirts impregnated with 6.10 kilograms of liquid cocaine. The suspect reportedly told investigators he had lived in Brazil for over 14 years, operating an African restaurant, and had traveled to Nigeria to visit family and purchase food items for his business.

In separate actions, a 60-year-old woman, Chidimma Sunday, was taken into custody in Abia State after a local vigilante group allegedly found her with 1.8 kilograms of cannabis skunk and handed her over to...