By Kofoworola Fakeye, JKNewsMedia Reporter
LARGE CONSIGNMENTS of illicit drugs intercepted at airports and border communities across Nigeria led to multiple arrests and seizures by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), including the arrest of a 63-year-old Chinese woman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the agency said Ting Hung Kiong, a Chinese national naturalised in Malaysia, was arrested on Sunday 17th May 2026 after arriving in Nigeria from Thailand through Dubai aboard an Emirates Airline flight. NDLEA operatives attached to the Terminal 2 Arrival Hall intercepted her with two large travel boxes containing 31kg of Canadian Loud, described as a synthetic strain of cannabis.
NDLEA said investigation revealed that the suspect travelled from Malaysia to Thailand before proceeding to Nigeria through the UAE.
During an interview, the suspect, who claimed she works as a caregiver in Malaysia, stated that her daughter sponsored her trip from Malaysia to Thailand and later to Nigeria.
She also disclosed that she spent two weeks in Thailand before she was handed the illicit consignment at the Thailand airport for delivery in Nigeria.
Also, NDLEA recovered 1,825,710 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg valued at N2,190,852,000 at the import shed of the Lagos airport.
It says the consignment arrived from India aboard an Emirates Cargo flight and was placed under close monitoring before the 29 large cartons were handed over to NDLEA by the Nigeria Customs Service (SCS) on Friday 22nd May 2026.
At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, NDLEA operatives intercepted Onyeka Valentine Emeka on Wednesday 20th May during inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sierra Leone through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, adding that the suspect later excreted 185.36 grams of cocaine while under observation.
Another arrest was made at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, where 29-year-old building engineer Babatunde Prosper Afekhide was apprehended on Wednesday 21st May while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan Malpensa, Italy, through Addis Ababa.
NDLEA said a search of his luggage led to the recovery of 10,280 pills of Tramaking 225mg,
Tramadol 200mg and Tapentadol 250mg concealed with foil paper inside a carton hidden in a suitcase.
It also intercepted 1,174 pills of MDMA concealed in a bicycle luggage carrier destined for the Netherlands at a courier company in Lagos. Operatives further recovered 66 pills of Tramadol 225mg hidden inside a soap container heading to the United States (US) and 18 tablets of Tramadol 225mg concealed in a body cream container bound for the United Kingdom.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided Igwe community in Owan East Local Government Area where they recovered 59 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 489kg and cannabis seeds weighing 9kg.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that the NDLEA arrested 30-year-old Isah Sani with 196,000 pills of Exol 5 along Zaria-Kano road in Kano State on Wednesday 20th May.
At the Seme border area of Lagos, officers recovered 59kg of skunk from a warehouse in Mowo, Badagry on Tuesday 19th May.
Another raid in Ekiti State led to the recovery of 1,116kg of skunk from a warehouse at N/56, Ikoyi community, Ikole Ekiti on Saturday 23rd May. NDLEA arrested 54-year-old Ogundana Adebayo Julius in connection with the seizure.
The agency said its commands and formations across the country also continued War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week.
The sensitisation programmes were held at Command Day School, Mokola, Ibadan; Girls Secondary School, Amenyi, Anambra; Matazu Model Primary School, Katsina; C&S Primary School, Majidun, Ikorodu; Alufo High School, Apugo, Enugu; Aramoko District Commercial Secondary School, Aramoko Ekiti; and Government Girls Secondary School, Kurna, Kano.
In his regular commendation, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded officers and men of MMIA, NAIA, AIIA, Edo, Ekiti, Seme and Kano Commands as well as DOGI for the arrests and seizures. He also noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitisation activities and charged them to continue raising the operational bar.
—
