74-Year-Old Man Arrested at Abuja Airport with 11kg of Cocaine Hidden in Luggage

74-Year-Old Man Arrested at Abuja Airport with 11kg of Cocaine Hidden in Luggage

A 74-year-old man identified as Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka has been arrested with cocaine by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after authorities discovered 11 kilograms of cocaine concealed in his luggage.

The suspect, who reportedly claimed he was travelling to London in the United Kingdom for a vacation, was intercepted at the departure hall while attempting to board a British Airways flight to Heathrow on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

According to NDLEA officials, a thorough search of his luggage uncovered large quantities of cocaine carefully concealed inside food items such as ground dry pepper. The illicit drugs were wrapped in foil papers and balloons in an attempt to evade detection.

In a related development in Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested a woman, Maryam Olalowo, at a hotel on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, while she allegedly attempted to sell 89 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of “Canadian Loud,” a strain of cannabis. She was reportedly found with her three children, including an infant, at the time of the arrest.

Following preliminary investigation, Olalowo told authorities that the drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji. He was later arrested the same day, while his wife was released. During interrogation, Ibrahim reportedly admitted ownership of the drugs. Further investigation also revealed he had previously been arrested and convicted for a similar offence in 2015, serving a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

In another operation on Lagos Island, NDLEA operatives apprehended two suspects, Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim, at Ebute Ero where they recovered 68,000 pills of tramadol. The suspects were reportedly preparing to transport the drugs to the Benin Republic when they were intercepted.

A follow-up raid at Idumota Market led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the shipment, Nnamdi Cyprian. Authorities said a search of his shop uncovered an additional parcel containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol prepared for delivery. In a separate raid at the same market, another suspect, Nwanosike Kelvin, was arrested with 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection.

Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives arrested a 42-year-old suspect, Magaji Dan Azumi, in Kano State with 386 kilograms of skunk, a strong strain of cannabis. In the Federal Capital Territory, another suspect, Isah Wako, was caught in Gwagwalada with 282.2 kilograms of the same substance.

In Edo State, NDLEA officers raided the Egwa Forest Reserve in Aduan village, Orhionmwon Local Government Area, where they arrested a suspect, Chinedo Odalonu, and destroyed more than 4,200 kilograms of skunk cultivated on two farms.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup were intercepted in two containers at the Apapa seaport in Lagos during a joint inspection carried out by NDLEA officers, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies. Authorities said the containers had earlier been flagged following intelligence reports suggesting they contained concealed opioids.

The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across several schools and communities nationwide during the week, including institutions in Nasarawa, Oyo, Delta, Cross River and Edo states.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers of the agency across various commands for their efforts in recent arrests and seizures, while urging them to maintain a balance between reducing drug supply and tackling drug demand through public awareness campaigns.