Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) for attempting to smuggle cocaine out of the country.
Izueke was apprehended on January 31, 2026, while preparing to board a flight to China via Addis Ababa. A routine body scan raised suspicion, leading to further checks that confirmed the presence of illicit substances concealed internally.
In a statement issued on Sunday, February 8, by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA disclosed that the suspect was found to have ingested 95 jumbo-sized pellets of cocaine, weighing a total of 1.589 kilograms.
The statement noted that Izueke was placed under strict medical observation, during which he expelled the drug wraps in seven separate rounds.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly admitted that he turned to drug trafficking in a bid to raise funds to complete the construction of his country home located in Iwollo, Enugu State.
The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying surveillance and enforcement efforts at airports and other key transit points to curb the trafficking of illicit drugs and protect public safety.
