NDLEA Arrests Boutique Owner Who Excreted 127 Cocaine Wraps, Foils Multiple Drug Shipments

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a boutique owner, Godwin Emeka, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, after he allegedly excreted 127 wraps of cocaine.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi stated that the 52-year-old businessman, who owns boutiques in Lagos and Anambra, was apprehended on Wednesday upon arrival from Bangkok, Thailand, on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941. A body scan revealed foreign substances inside his body, leading to the recovery of 58 wraps concealed in his underwear. Emeka later excreted an additional 69 wraps, bringing the total to 127 wraps weighing 1.388 kilograms, according to Punch.

In the same statement on Sunday, Babafemi disclosed that NDLEA operatives intercepted three illicit drug shipments in a Lagos warehouse. These included 1.74 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in glass ceramics, as well as tramadol and pentazocine injections concealed in vitamin C containers. All shipments were bound for the United Kingdom.

Additional smuggling attempts were foiled, including drugs disguised as black soap tablets headed to Turkey, cocaine hidden in handbags bound for Australia, and cannabis sealed in herbal containers intended for the UAE.

At Lagos airport, officers intercepted 27,510 Rohypnol pills hidden in alcoholic drink sachets en route to South Africa, leading to the arrest of three suspects—a freight agent and a cab driver among them.

An Italy-based businessman, Enehizena Uyimwen, was also arrested for attempting to smuggle 3,700 tramadol pills and 2,600 tapentadol tablets concealed in food packages. He reportedly confessed to trafficking the drugs for a payment of €945.

NDLEA also made several arrests across states. In Edo, 47 kilograms of skunk were seized from a suspect’s house, while in Osun, over 700 kilograms were recovered. Raids in Rivers, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, and Kaduna led to further arrests and the seizure of large quantities of tramadol and Exol-5 pills.

NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) praised the operatives for their dedication and urged them to maintain their momentum in the fight against drug trafficking.