The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of 42-year-old Angolan businessman Mbala Dajou Abuba at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport for attempting to traffic a large quantity of cocaine. Abuba, who was en route to Turkey, had ingested the drugs in an effort to smuggle them.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed the details in a statement shared with The Telegraph on Sunday. According to Babafemi, Abuba, who hails from Zaire province in Angola, was arrested on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at the airport’s screening point while attempting to board Egypt Air flight MS 880 to Istanbul via Cairo.
“Following a body scan, it was confirmed that he had ingested illicit drugs. He was placed under observation and subsequently expelled 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms over the course of seven excretions,” the statement read.
Abuba confessed during questioning that he had previously been involved in the township delivery services business in Angola before turning to drug trafficking.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 1.10kg cocaine shipment concealed in vehicle propellers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The drugs were destined for Angola, and the trafficker, auto spare parts dealer Okeke Ebuka Igwe, was arrested on Monday, February 24, 2025, based on credible intelligence.
Babafemi further disclosed that Igwe, during his interview, claimed to be a businessman in the auto parts trade at ASPAMDA, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos.
Another significant bust took place on Sunday, February 23, 2025, when NDLEA agents apprehended Ezechi Iyke Cyprian in Owerri, Imo State. Cyprian was attempting to transport 5.40 kilograms of cocaine in his Toyota Sienna bus. His arrest followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance.
Additionally, on Friday, February 28, 2025, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos uncovered 128 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, concealed within two mattresses in the trunk of a Toyota Venza car imported from Canada.
The drugs weighed a total of 63.75 kilograms. The shipment, marked TCNU 1945861, had arrived from Montreal, Canada, and was discovered during a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs, and other security agencies. The recipient, 44-year-old Bamidele Joseph, has been arrested and taken into custody.
