Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria – May 2025
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a woman, Ihensekhien Miracle Obehi, attempting to smuggle cocaine through Port Harcourt International Airport. Disguised in a hijab to evade security checks, Obehi was intercepted on May 3 as she tried to board a Qatar Airways flight to Iran via Doha.
In a statement, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed that Obehi had hidden the cocaine in multiple locations: three wraps were inserted in her private part, two large parcels were concealed in false compartments in her handbag, and she had swallowed 67 pellets of the drug. When placed under observation, Obehi excreted the 67 pellets from her stomach, which collectively weighed 2.523 kilograms.
Obehi confessed to the authorities that she had intended to swallow 70 pellets but was unable to ingest the last few, resorting to hiding them in her private area. This interception comes as part of a larger operation by NDLEA to combat drug trafficking at major Nigerian airports.
Last week, another significant arrest took place at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. Campell Kaizra Kofi Johannes Slifer, a 22-year-old British national, was apprehended with 37.60 kilograms of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, in two suitcases. Slifer, who had been convicted in the UK for drug trafficking and robbery, admitted to being recruited in London to transport the illicit drugs from Thailand to Nigeria.
NDLEA operatives continued their successful operations across Nigeria. On May 7, 2025, officers in Niger State intercepted a fuel truck carrying over 3,000 kilograms of cannabis (skunk). Four suspects, Christopher Onyema (47), Benedict Etineruba Young (54), Chukwudi Ujue Jerry (30), and Mohammed Abdullahi Danasabe (unknown), were arrested in connection with the seizure. The agency also recovered three vehicles, including Honda Odyssey buses and a Gulf bus, linked to the smuggling operation.
In Lagos, operatives arrested two suspects, Eze Chekube Emmanuel and Ike Samuel Chinyerem, with 109,914 pills of tramadol, swinol, and nitrozepam. In other operations, NDLEA officers seized significant quantities of skunk, tramadol, and codeine syrup across various Nigerian states.
Babafemi added that, on May 6, 2025, in Bauchi State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a Toyota Tundra jeep loaded with 505 kilograms of skunk. The two suspects in this operation, Isaac Onogure (37) and Ikechukwu Peter (44), were arrested, and their vehicle was seized.
In a separate raid in Kano State, NDLEA agents recovered 31 kegs of codeine syrup, totaling 775 liters, from two suspects, Hafizu Isa Uman (34) and Ismail Shehu (48). Additionally, 1.1 kilograms of “Loud” cannabis in a pillow were seized by NDLEA officers at a courier company in Lagos.
The continued efforts of the NDLEA’s dedicated officers are making significant strides in dismantling drug trafficking networks across Nigeria. NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s operatives for their relentless work and success in disrupting the illegal drug trade.
These operations reflect the agency’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding Nigeria from the dangers of illicit drug trafficking.
