The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended 37-year-old ex-convict Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil, alongside three cargo agents, in connection with an attempted cocaine export concealed in liquid starch sachets destined for the United Kingdom.
The arrests followed the seizure of 75 parcels of cocaine, weighing a total of 1.50 kilograms, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) export shed in Ikeja, Lagos.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi confirmed that the three cargo agents—Jubrin Firdausi Hassana, Kuku Daniel Oluwasegun, and Igwe Chioma Jane—were initially detained on December 20 during the operation. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Nwobodo the following day at a relaxation centre in Ikeja.
“A notorious drug trafficker, Nwobodo Basil, previously convicted for dealing in 30.10kg of methamphetamine in 2023, has again been apprehended following this seizure. He was located at a relaxation centre on a date with his girlfriend,” Babafemi said.
Records indicate that Nwobodo had been convicted in May 2023 for methamphetamine trafficking and sentenced to five years imprisonment, with an option of a ₦7 million fine and one month of community service. He reportedly paid the fine and was released, only to return to drug trafficking activities.
Babafemi also highlighted other NDLEA operations across the country. In Gombe State, 65-year-old Sada’u Mohammed was detained for transporting 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 27,900 tramadol pills to Biu in Borno State. In Lagos, 47-year-old businessman Ignatius Egbochie, also known as Brown, was arrested following the seizure of 26 kilograms of cannabis at Tincan Port.
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Between December 21 and 25, NDLEA operatives conducted raids in Ekiti, Edo, Cross River, Abuja, Lagos, and Taraba, seizing and destroying large quantities of cannabis. Babafemi noted that in Ara-Ekiti, 638 kilograms of cannabis were recovered and warehouses destroyed by fire. In Edo, 883.1 kilograms of compressed cannabis were intercepted along the Igara-Auchi road, while in Cross River, three suspects were arrested with additional skunk cannabis.
“All suspects will face prosecution under Nigerian law,” Babafemi stated, emphasising the agency’s ongoing commitment to dismantling organised drug trafficking networks. He added that these operations are part of a broader strategy to curb the flow of illicit drugs and protect public health.