The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 25.05 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in breakfast cereal packages imported from South Africa through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The agency also arrested an American professional basketball player over an alleged attempt to smuggle 33.95 kilograms of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, into Nigeria from Thailand.
In a statement issued on Sunday, November 15, 2026, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the operations formed part of a nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking and related criminal activities.
According to the statement, NDLEA operatives arrested a 56-year-old suspect identified as Omokan Isaac Babatope, whose real name is Chinedu Onwude, at the Lagos airport on Wednesday, November 11.
The suspect, who had reportedly lived in South Africa for more than 24 years, was apprehended after arriving in Nigeria with two suitcases containing 25 parcels of a crystalline substance concealed in assorted cereal packages.
Tests conducted on the recovered substance confirmed that it was methamphetamine weighing 25.05 kilograms.
During preliminary questioning, Onwude allegedly admitted to adopting a false identity after entering South Africa with forged documents.
He reportedly told investigators that a South Africa-based individual, identified as Obiora Okoye, engaged him to deliver the consignment in Nigeria for a payment of 20,000 South African rand.
In another operation at the airport, NDLEA officers arrested a 28-year-old American citizen, Greene Da’monte Khiree, who arrived in Lagos aboard an Emirates flight from Thailand through Dubai.
The agency said intelligence reports prompted surveillance of the suspect, who allegedly abandoned two checked-in bags and attempted to leave the airport with only his hand luggage.
A search of the abandoned bags reportedly uncovered 32 parcels of Loud weighing 33.95 kilograms, alongside a tracking device.
The suspect, who hails from Savannah, Georgia, claimed to have been living in Thailand since October 2025, where he played professional basketball.
He reportedly told investigators that he visited Nigeria for a holiday and to establish professional basketball connections.
However, the agency said a forensic examination of his mobile phone revealed information suggesting his knowledge of the illicit shipment.
NDLEA Uncovers Illegal Firearms Factory in Kaduna
Beyond the airport interceptions, NDLEA operatives uncovered a suspected illegal firearms manufacturing facility in Sabon Garin Kangin, Kaduna State.
During the November 9 operation, officers arrested a 45-year-old suspect, Sagiru Musa, and recovered 17 locally fabricated Dane guns, two pistols, 25 gun barrels and other materials allegedly used in producing firearms.
In another Kaduna operation, officers intercepted a 31-year-old woman, Tabara Dauda, along the Abuja–Kaduna Expressway on November 13.
She was reportedly found transporting 196 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition and ₦675,000 in cash.
The agency also arrested Samson Chibuike Andebe, 30, in Sabon Gari Local Government Area after allegedly recovering 3,840 tablets of tramadol weighing 2.5 kilograms.
Similarly, a raid in the Gonin-Gora area led to the arrest of Celestine Chime, 34, and Chibueze Christ, 36, with approximately 499.3 kilograms of skunk recovered.
Major Drug Seizures Recorded in Lagos, Ondo and Delta
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Taiwo Adebayo Aderoju, 33, at Ebute Metta on November 10, recovering 119.71 kilograms of cannabis.
A separate operation in Ajah on November 14 resulted in the recovery of 78.8 kilograms of cannabis, codeine syrup, tramadol, Rohypnol, pregabalin, nitrous oxide and other substances from an abandoned Toyota Sienna vehicle.
In Ondo State, officers arrested Victor William, 42, and Akeem Azeez, 27, at Olabi village, where 560 kilograms of cannabis were reportedly recovered from a storage facility.
Another operation at a cannabis plantation in Ipele Forest led to the arrest of three suspects and the seizure of 122 kilograms of cannabis.
In Delta State, a 43-year-old woman, Esther Igba, was arrested at Alihame, Agbor, with 255.67 kilograms of cannabis and 1.5 kilograms of cannabis seeds.
The agency also apprehended Aaron Thomas, popularly known as Ibori, following more than six months of surveillance.
Thomas, who allegedly operated a drug distribution point disguised as a bush bar in Ughelli South Local Government Area, was arrested with quantities of cannabis, codeine, tramadol, swinol and MDMA.
Cannabis Farms Destroyed in Osun, Suspects Arrested in Edo
In Osun State, NDLEA officers arrested two suspects, Eze Chidiebere, 23, and Nwaoge Ugochukwu, 24, during an operation at the Owena Forest Reserve.
The officers reportedly recovered 86 kilograms of cannabis from the suspects.
Another suspect, Ugwu Chukwuemeka, 40, was arrested in the same forest reserve with 28 kilograms of dried cannabis and 21 kilograms of fresh cannabis leaves.
The agency also destroyed his 0.855-hectare cannabis plantation, estimated to contain 2,137.5 kilograms of cannabis.
In Edo State, a surveillance-led operation at Jamila Street, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, resulted in the arrest of a 39-year-old woman, Blessing Chukwudi.
Officers reportedly recovered 14 kilograms of Loud, 65 grams of Colorado and 73 grams of methamphetamine from her.
NDLEA Intensifies Anti-Drug Awareness Campaigns
Alongside its enforcement operations, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programme in schools, religious institutions, workplaces and communities nationwide.
The campaign reached educational institutions in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Plateau and Kano states.
The Ondo State Command also conducted an advocacy visit to the Olu of Ilu Abo, Oba Olu Falae, as part of efforts to strengthen community participation in drug abuse prevention.
Reacting to the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers across the affected commands for their vigilance and professionalism.
Marwa said the interception of methamphetamine hidden in breakfast cereal packages demonstrated the agency’s determination to uncover increasingly sophisticated drug concealment methods.
He also expressed concern over the discovery of an illegal firearms manufacturing facility in Kaduna, noting that the development highlighted the relationship between illicit drug activities and violent crime.
The NDLEA chairman urged personnel nationwide to sustain intelligence-driven operations against drug trafficking while intensifying public awareness campaigns aimed at reducing drug abuse.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to disrupting criminal networks, intercepting illicit substances and protecting communities from the dangers associated with drug trafficking and abuse.
