The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, as a series of anti-narcotics operations across Nigeria led to multiple arrests and significant drug seizures.
The suspect, identified as Qhina Beauty, was arrested on October 7, 2026, while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.
According to the NDLEA, a search of her two travel bags uncovered 30 blocks of cocaine concealed with dried pepper, wrapped in cellophane tape and packaged in seven parcels.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the development in a statement on Sunday.
Babafemi said Beauty told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 to collect the consignment after another South African woman allegedly promised to pay her 20,000 South African rand for delivering it.
He added that the suspect identified two other alleged members of the trafficking network, including an individual based in the United States and a Lagos-based car dealer.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the car dealer, 46-year-old Uchenna Umunnakwe, on October 14 at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, following surveillance at his residence in Shasha.
The NDLEA said Umunnakwe admitted receiving Beauty at the airport, arranging accommodation for her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin and later moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her departure.
Nigerian-American Woman Arrested With Cannabis
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 62-year-old Anetor Gloria Ubong, a Nigerian-American realtor based in Richmond, Texas, with 9.45 kilogrammes of high-grade cannabis known as loud.
Ubong was arrested on October 21 upon arriving at the Lagos airport aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston, United States.
A search of her two checked-in boxes reportedly uncovered 18 parcels of the substance concealed with gift-wrapping paper.
According to the agency, Ubong claimed that her daughter and the daughter’s prospective brother-in-law delivered the package to her home in the United States for onward delivery to her daughter’s fiancé in Nigeria, identified as Jibola.
Massive Drug Seizures Across States
The agency also reported several arrests and recoveries in coordinated operations across the country.
In Lagos, operatives arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in the Eti-Osa area on October 23. The operation yielded 5,820 diazepam pills, 780 tramadol tablets, 3.7 kilogrammes of skunk cannabis and 230.25 litres of skuchies.
In Delta State, officers arrested 51-year-old Peter Ugochukwu in Warri, recovering thousands of pharmaceutical opioid units and other substances.
The seized items included 29,350 tramadol capsules, 6,620 tramadol tablets, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 Rohypnol tablets and 3,500 diazepam tablets.
Other substances recovered from him included 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 200 ampoules of diazepam injection, as well as quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol.
Babafemi said the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State transferred Ugochukwu to the agency alongside a white Hummer bus.
In another operation in Warri, operatives arrested 46-year-old Helen Bakporo Samson, a physically challenged woman, with six kilogrammes of skunk at Enhere Junction on October 19.
In Oyo State, officers arrested 41-year-old Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi in the Adamasingba area of Ibadan on October 19. The agency said he had previously evaded arrest after operatives seized 197.8 kilogrammes of cannabis from his residence on September 16.
In Kano State, 30-year-old Murtala Lawan was arrested during a raid in the Gerawa area on October 22, with 159 blocks of cannabis weighing 97.2 kilogrammes.
Similarly, officers arrested 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Taraba State’s Yorro Local Government Area on October 23, recovering 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175 kilogrammes.
The agency also reported that the police handed over another suspect arrested at Dakka village in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State with 112 blocks of cannabis weighing 81.49 kilogrammes.
In Niger State, operatives arrested 26-year-old Emmanuel Ekene along the Sabo-Kainji Road in Borgu Local Government Area on October 19, recovering 64,000 opioid pills, including tramadol and diazepam.
Bauchi State also recorded a major seizure when officers arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, popularly known as Last Card, in Nasaru town, Ningi Local Government Area, on October 21.
The operation yielded 379 kilogrammes of cannabis packed in seven large sacks.
In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives recovered 583 kilogrammes of abandoned cannabis from a farm in Board-Ala, Akure South Local Government Area, during a raid on October 20.
Meanwhile, officers destroyed two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, on October 18.
The farms had an estimated yield of 2,023.14 kilogrammes of cannabis. Operatives also destroyed 450 kilogrammes of processed cannabis at the site and took another 97 kilogrammes as exhibits.
The agency further reported the arrest of 42-year-old Mary Edokhai at Ewe community in Owan West Local Government Area, with 35 kilogrammes of cannabis.
Marwa Commends Officers
Babafemi said NDLEA commands across the country also carried out drug abuse awareness campaigns in schools, places of worship, workplaces and communities during the week.
The agency’s chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations for their vigilance and intelligence-led efforts.
He urged personnel nationwide to sustain the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
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