A 43-year-old female make-up artist, Adekoya Adebukonla Mary, who claimed she was traveling to India for fibroid surgery, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, after 2.2 kilograms of cocaine were discovered concealed in her luggage.

The arrest took place on Monday, June 16, 2025, following actionable intelligence. Under close surveillance, Adekoya was allowed to check in her bag, which was later searched at the boarding gate for her Qatar Airways flight to India via Doha. Two large parcels of cocaine were found hidden within the walls of her suitcase.

In her statement, she confessed that financial difficulties drove her into the act, though she had disguised her travel as a medical trip. Investigations linked her to a drug kingpin, Akeem Ayinde Adekanbi, owner of Rockford Hotel in Sango, Ogun State, and a resident of Igbe Laara in Igbogbo, Lagos. Adekanbi is currently at large.

NDLEA operatives also intercepted international drug consignments. On June 18, at a Lagos-based courier firm, 850 grams of cocaine concealed in cloth hangers bound for Australia were seized. The following day, another shipment containing 1.3 kilograms of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden in sewn female dresses and destined for Bahrain, was also intercepted.

In Bauchi State, two suspects, Ibrahim Galadima, 37, and Ibrahim Muhammed, 28, were arrested on June 16 along the Bauchi–Darazo road. Officers recovered over one million pills of opioids, including tramadol, diazepam, and Exol-5.

In Abuja, NDLEA operatives on June 17 seized 14.2 kilograms of skunk concealed in sacks of charcoal. A separate raid on June 18 led to the arrest of three suspects in the Karu Abattoir and Torabora areas, where officers recovered 6.9 kilograms of skunk and 59 grams of methamphetamine.

In Kano, patrols on June 19 led to the arrest of Umar Hamisu, 19, and Dahiru Abdullahi, 32, with 56.2 kilograms of skunk. Another suspect, Obiwuru Henry, 27, was found with 23,720 capsules of tramadol and 1,400 ampoules of pentazocine. Two others, Abubakar Modu, 60, and Abdulkadir Muhammed, 28, were arrested with similar substances.

In Kwara State, a 22-year-old female student, Olotin Nifemi, was apprehended on June 19 with 1 kilogram of skunk. She reportedly sold drugs to fellow students.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 4,226.11 kilograms of cannabis at Ugbada camp during a raid on cannabis farms. A suspect, Albert Shamaki, 33, was arrested during the operation. Other arrests included Esther Abumere, 28, found with assorted illicit drugs at a supermarket, and Eko Gift, 38, caught with 1.143 kilograms of skunk at a provision store.

The agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued across the country with sensitization activities in schools and advocacy visits. One of such visits included a meeting with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in Ile Ife.

NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers nationwide for their commitment to intercepting drugs and dismantling trafficking networks.

These updates were released on June 22, 2025, by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy.