NDLEA arrests UK-bound 74-year-old grandpa with 11kg cocaine in balloons

…Recovers large consignments of opioids, 339,800 bottles of codeine

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, on Sunday, said it has arrested a 74-year-old grandpa, Ikwuakalom Emeka, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja, with a large consignment of cocaine discovered in foil papers and balloons concealed in his luggage.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, said in a statement on Sunday, that the septuagenarian who claimed he was travelling to London, United Kingdom for vacation, was arrested by NDLEA officers at the departure hall of the Abuja airport while attempting to board a British Airways flight BA082 to Heathrow London on Saturday 14th March 2026.

The NDLEA said that a search of his luggage, revealed blocks of cocaine weighing 11 kilograms neatly concealed inside food items, including ground dry pepper, carefully wrapped in foil papers and balloons.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence in the early hours of Monday 9th March, also arrested a woman, Maryam Olalowo at Ikad Hotel and Suites, on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, while attempting to sell 89grams of cocaine and 20grams of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis.

“She was found with her three children, including an infant, at the time of the arrest.

Read also: NDLEA arrests former Lagos Councilor over links to drug sales, trafficking

According to the NDLEA, “She confessed that the illicit drugs belong to her husband, Ibrahim Olatunji, who was later taken into custody same day while his wife was immediately set free.

“Ibrahim confirmed ownership of the illicit drugs in his statement while further investigation revealed that he had previously been arrested, convicted, and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for a similar offence in 2015.”

In another interdiction operation, the NDLEA said its operatives arrested ” two suspects: Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim at Ebetu Ero, Lagos Island where they recovered 68,000 pills of tramadol 250mg and 225mg after they had loaded the exhibits into their truck and preparing to transport them to Benin Republic on Monday, March 9.

” A follow-up operation conducted on Wednesday 11th March at Idumota market, Lagos Island, where the actual owner of the consignment, Nnamdi Cyprian, was arrested.

A search of his shop led to the discovery of a parcel already prepared for waybill delivery, containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg. Another raid at Idumota market on Friday 13th March led to the arrest of Nwanosike Kelvin and the recovery of 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from his shop.

In a related development, a 42-year-old Magaji Dan Azumi was arrested at Bebeji area of Kano with 386kg skunk on Tuesday 10th March, NDLEA officers in Abuja recovered 282.2kg skunk from a suspect Isah Wako, 42, in Gwagwalada area of the FCT on Friday, March 13.

“In Edo state, NDLEA operatives raided the Egwa forest reserve in Aduan village, Orhionmwon LGA where a suspect Chinedo Odalonu,33, was apprehended and a total of 4,218.96kg skunk destroyed on two farms with 16.5kg of same substance recovered.”

The anti- narcotics agency said no fewer than 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup were intercepted in two containers at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Saturday 14th March during a joint examination of the shipments by NDLEA officers, men of Customs and other security agencies. The containers had earlier been watch-listed by NDLEA following credible intelligence on concealment of opioids in them.

The Agency has also vowed to intensify the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands across the country.

During the past week, the Agency delivered the WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of ERCC Secondary School, Duguru, Nasarawa; Awoyemi Commercial High School, Okeho, Oyo; Ogunu Primary School, Ogunu, Delta State.

Others include the Seven Angels University Secondary School, Ikot Enobong, Calabar, Cross River; and Edo National College, Iguobazuwa, Edo state, while the Zone 11 Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi state, among others.