The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 50-year-old widow and fashion designer, Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for attempting to traffic 1.3 kilograms of cocaine cleverly concealed with a fake pregnancy bump in Lagos.
A statement by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director, Media & Advocacy, said Ezewuike, who runs a fashion outfit, Golden Star Creation, in Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, was apprehended by NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 22, 2025, at Jibowu Bus Terminal, Yaba, while trying to deliver the consignment to buyers in Abuja.
A subsequent raid on her residence in Ago Palace led to the recovery of 200 grams of cutting agents used for processing cocaine. During interrogation, Ezewuike confessed that she inherited the illicit trade from her late husband, who died two years ago.
“I have been a fashion designer for 20 years, but I continued the drug business because my husband was into it before his death,” she reportedly told investigators.
Massive Drug Interceptions Across States
The NDLEA also intercepted 90 parcels of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis weighing 48.6kg, smuggled from the United States and hidden in three cartons of kitchen sinks at a courier company in Lagos on August 19.
In Adamawa, operatives raided the home of a notorious dealer, Idris Garba, in Yola South. Although Garba escaped by scaling a fence, his associate, Boniface Nnaji, 55, was arrested. A Toyota Thundra jeep and a Toyota Yaris car used to transport 354,480 pills of tramadol and other opioids were seized.
Similarly, in Kogi State, 5,000 capsules of tramadol, 400 ampoules of pentazocine, and 200 ampoules of diazepam were confiscated from a suspect, Neche Okonkwo, at Idah Waterside after he ferried them across the River Niger from Onitsha.
In Kano, operatives arrested Buhari Ibrahim, 25, and Mansur Musa, 24, with 5,850 capsules of pregabalin. Another raid led to the recovery of 452,070 pills from the home of a fleeing suspect, Rabilu Mukhtar. Separately, Buhari Idris, 35, was arrested with 140 litres of codeine syrup, while 7,000 tramadol capsules were seized from Adamu Yusuf, 29, along Zaria-Kano Road.
Kwara, Ekiti, Taraba, Edo, Delta, Ondo in Spotlight
In Kwara, 2,289.49 kilograms of cannabis (skunk) were seized in three operations. One suspect, Kabiru Abdullahi, was arrested with 1,232.86kg in a truck, while another, Paul Olaniran, 47, was caught with 328.42kg. The following day, two more suspects, Abubakar Zaki and Yau Babangida, were nabbed with 728.21kg at Ajase-Ipo Junction.
In Ekiti, Awe Sunday, 50, and Ayodele Adedayo, 54, were arrested with 96kg of skunk in Ikere-Ekiti. In Taraba, NDLEA and Civil Defence operatives destroyed 7,500kg of cannabis cultivated on three hectares in Bali LGA.
Edo State recorded major breakthroughs with 901kg seized from a warehouse in Uzebba, Owan West LGA, and 14,233.37kg destroyed on plantations at Ebule forest. A female suspect, Fodo Stella Sunday, 54, was arrested during the operation.
Delta State witnessed the destruction of 25,500kg of cannabis on plantations in Ndokwa West, while Ondo operatives destroyed 25,025kg cultivated on 10.01 hectares at Uso.
Drug Courier Arrested in Abuja
Two dispatch riders, Garba Sule, 29, and Isaac Augustine, 35, were arrested in Abuja’s Jabi area on August 21 during a stop-and-search. Sule was caught with pentazocine injections, while Augustine was nabbed with skunk packaged for delivery.
NDLEA Boss Commends Officers
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers across Lagos, Kano, Adamawa, Kwara, Delta, Edo, Taraba, Ondo, Ekiti, Kogi, and the FCT for their dedication.
“Our balanced approach to drug control—comprising arrests, seizures, and public sensitization—remains vital in winning the war against illicit substances. I urge our operatives nationwide to sustain this momentum,” Marwa said.
Meanwhile, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in Katsina, Kano, Abia, and Nasarawa states, engaging schools, mosques, churches, and traditional institutions.
