Angolan Businessman Arrested at Kano Airport for Smuggling Cocaine
A 42-year-old businessman from Angola, Mbala Dajou Abuba, was apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on February 25, 2025, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano. He attempted to smuggle a large amount of cocaine to Istanbul, Turkey, by swallowing the drugs before boarding Egypt Air flight MS 880, which was en route to Istanbul via Cairo.
Abuba, hailing from Zaire Province in Angola, was caught at the airport’s screening checkpoint. Following a body scan that indicated he had ingested illegal substances, he was placed under observation. Over the next several hours, he excreted 120 pellets of cocaine, totaling 1.829 kilograms, in seven separate instances.
According to Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Abuba claimed to have been working in the township delivery business in Angola before turning to drug trafficking.
In a separate case, NDLEA operatives foiled the attempt of Okeke Ebuka Igwe, an auto spare parts dealer, to smuggle 1.10 kilograms of cocaine concealed in vehicle propellers from Lagos to Angola. The arrest took place at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) on February 24, 2025, following credible intelligence. During questioning, Igwe stated that he was a businessman selling auto parts at the ASPANDA Trade Fair Complex in Lagos.
Further operations led to the arrest of Ezechi Iyke Cyprian, who was attempting to transport 5.40 kilograms of cocaine to Owerri, Imo State, in his Toyota Sienna bus on February 23. NDLEA agents arrested him after weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering.
At the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, on February 28, NDLEA agents uncovered 128 parcels of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, hidden in two mattresses inside a Toyota Venza imported from Canada. The drugs weighed 63.75 kilograms. The shipment had arrived in a container from Montreal, Canada, and was intercepted during a joint operation with customs and other security agencies. The consignee, 44-year-old Bamidele Joseph, was arrested.
In Delta State, NDLEA agents, with support from the military, raided a cannabis farm on February 27, destroying over 50,000 kilograms of cannabis spread across 20 hectares in Innam-Abbi/Orogun community. Five suspects, including Augustine Subaru, 45, and Ukoba Malachukwu, 53, were arrested during the operation.
Additionally, on February 28, operatives intercepted a Mercedes Benz truck along the Abraka-Orogun road, leading to the discovery of 101 bags of skunk weighing a total of 1,111 kilograms.
On March 1, NDLEA agents raided warehouses in the Okpuje community, Owan West LGA, Edo State, seizing over 1,400 kilograms of skunk and arresting two individuals: Oikelomen Osere Monday, 38, and Glory Iroyo, 42.
In other notable seizures, NDLEA agents arrested Michael Omoloki, 46, with 58.5 kilograms of skunk at the Ibadan end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Lawali Mohammed, 30, a Beninoise national, was caught in Kwara State with nearly 3,000 tramadol tablets on February 24.
The NDLEA’s crackdown continued across the country, with significant operations also reported in Osun, Borno, and Zamfara states, where illicit drugs like skunk, tramadol, and cannabis were seized.
In addition to drug seizures and arrests, the agency has been actively promoting its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, holding awareness lectures at schools, religious centers, workplaces, and local communities across Nigeria.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), the NDLEA Chairman, commended the agency’s officers for their diligent efforts and operational success in tackling drug trafficking, stressing the importance of their balanced approach to both reducing drug supply and demand across the country.
