NAMA staff apprehended over drug trafficking at Lagos airport

A staff of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) was on early hour of Saturday apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos for drug trafficking by Aviation Security (AVSEC) of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

The suspect whose identity was not immediately made known was arrested in the official vehicle of NAMA at the air-side of the airport when he attempted to courier the drug through that aspect of the airport.

The suspect was allegedly one of the official drivers of the airspace management agency.

The drug, which was believed to be cocaine was in big cartons and hidden inside the NAMA vehicle by the driver and his cohorts.

A source close to the scene of the incident disclosed that the driver was not the only culprit arrested for the attempted courier of the illegal substance, as some members of the drug cartel were also apprehended by the AVSEC officials.

As at the time of compiling this report, the suspects had been handed over to the officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Lagos Airport.

A source close to NDLEA said that the suspect had confessed to the crime and was assisting the anti-drug agency in its investigation.

It was gathered that the initial forensic test conducted on the drug by NDLEA confirmed the suspect was carrying banned substance.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.