Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two passengers travelling to Turkey and intercepted a large consignment of illicit drugs smuggled into Nigeria from Ghana in separate operations in Lagos State.
The two suspects, identified as Adediran Adedoyin and Afatakpa Ochuko, were arrested on January 20, 2026 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. NDLEA operatives discovered that the suspects were in possession of a total of 3,990 pills of controlled substances, including tapentadol 250mg and tramadol 225mg.
According to information obtained on Sunday, the illicit drugs were carefully concealed in food items packed inside the suspects’ travel bags in an attempt to evade detection during routine screening procedures at the airport. However, the concealment was uncovered following intensified surveillance and intelligence-led operations by the agency.
In a related development, operatives of the NDLEA Marine Command intercepted a wooden boat conveying 44 jumbo bags of Ghana Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 1,848 kilograms. The interception took place in the early hours of January 22, 2026 at Jakande Beach in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
Sources disclosed that the drug-laden boat had barely arrived from Ghana when NDLEA officers, acting on credible intelligence, stormed the location at about 1am. The operatives successfully recovered the entire consignment along with the wooden boat used for transportation.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to combating drug trafficking and dismantling criminal networks involved in the importation and distribution of illicit substances across the country.
