Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have smashed a highly sophisticated international drug smuggling ring, arresting a 41-year-old Brazil-based Nigerian businessman for importing shirts and towels laced with $6.10\text{ kg}$ of liquid cocaine into the country.
The suspect, identified as Abugu Oliver Ikechukwu, was intercepted by eagle-eyed anti-narcotics agents at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.
Ikechukwu had just arrived from São Paulo, Brazil, transiting through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
According to an official media dispatch released on Sunday, June 14, 2026, by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the discovery was made during a routine but rigorous physical search of the passenger’s checked-in luggage.
Operational handlers uncovered 14 different towels and designer shirts that had been thoroughly chemically soaked in high-purity liquid cocaine, professionally dried, and meticulously ironed to evade standard airport visual screening protocols.
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"A thorough search of his luggage led to the recovery of 14 towels and shirts, all soaked in liquid cocaine, dried and well-ironed," Babafemi stated online.
"The suspect claims he has lived for over 14 years in Brazil, where he runs an African restaurant. He added that he was in Nigeria to see his wife and buy foodstuffs in bulk for his restaurant."
NDLEA Nationwide Enforcement Tracker
| Suspect Name / Location | Age | Illicit Substance Seized | Operational Context / Law Enforcement Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abugu Oliver Ikechukwu MMIA, Lagos | 41 | 6.10 kg Liquid Cocaine | Impregnated inside 14 towels/shirts from São Paulo; arrested at customs. |
| Chidimma Sunday Isialangwa North, Abia | 60 | 1.8 kg Skunk Cannabis | Person living with a disability; captured by Umuosu Vigilante Group. |
| Abubakar Usman Port Harcourt, Rivers | 28 | Skunk, Meth, Tramadol, Swinol | Person living with a disability; intercepted peddling assorted drugs at Rumuokoro. |
| Taraba & Kwara Warehouses Multi-State Operation | N/A | 1,121.5 kg Cannabis / 304 kg Skunk | Massive localized tactical raids hitting major inland storage centers. |
In parallel enforcement cleanups executed across regional commands, the NDLEA also targeted localized supply chains.
In Abia State, a 60-year-old woman living with a disability, Chidimma Sunday, was apprehended by the Umuosu Vigilante Group in the Umuna Autonomous Community with $1.8\text{ kg}$ of skunk and subsequently handed over to federal agents.
Simultaneously, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, another disabled individual, 28-year-old Abubakar Usman, was caught with an assortment of narcotics, including methamphetamine, tramadol, Swinol, and diazepam.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), highly commended the joint airport and regional task forces for their relentless precision.
He emphasized that the agency's dual strategy of aggressive drug supply reduction and robust localized demand sensitization would continue until cross-border narcotics cartels are entirely dismantled.
#NDLEA #BubaMarwa #LiquidCocaine #DrugBustLagos #MurtalaMuhammedAirport #FemiBabafemi #DrugTrafficking #Enforcement2026
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