By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
INTERCEPTION OF a major heroin shipment at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja has led to the arrest of a Brazilian woman by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), alongside multiple seizures of explosives and illicit drugs across several states.
JKNewsMedia.com NDLEA said a 30-year-old Brazilian national, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, was arrested at the Abuja airport for attempting to bring into Nigeria 30.09 kilograms of white heroin concealed in factory sealed coffee packs, with a street value of over N3bn.
The agency said the suspect, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, arrived on a Qatar Airways flight QR1431 on Friday 23 January 2026 and was arrested following processed intelligence.
A search of her two checked in bags, NDLEA said, revealed 21 factory sealed packets of Brazilian coffee which, when opened, contained white substances that later tested positive for heroin.
It also said the seizure is the single largest heroin interception at the Abuja airport.
During a preliminary interview, the suspect claimed she brought the consignment under the guise of coming to Nigeria for holidays.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 20 January intercepted two passengers, Adediran Adedoyin and Afatakpa Ochuko, who were travelling to Istanbul, Turkey, aboard a Turkish Airlines flight.
The agency also said 3,990 pills of tapentadol 250mg and tramaking 225mg were found concealed in food items packed in their bags.
Also, NDLEA said operatives of its Marine Command intercepted a wooden boat loaded with 44 jumbo bags of Ghana Loud cannabis weighing 1,848 kilograms at Jakande beach in Lekki Lagos in the early hours of Thursday 22 January.
It also said the consignment had just arrived from Ghana when officers, acting on credible intelligence, recovered the drugs and the boat around 1am.
Furthermore, it also said two suspects, Aminu Ali Baba, 20, and Abdulrasheed Abubakar, 28, were arrested on Friday 23 January in connection with the seizure of two bags containing 140 packets of explosives heading to Kano and Kaduna.
NDLEA said the bags were intercepted in a commercial bus along the Kaduna Zaria highway, while follow up operations led to the arrest of the suspects at Karota park in Kano and Mando park in Kaduna.
An intelligence led raid at Kwangila in Zaria LGA Kaduna on Thursday 22 January led to the arrest of Fatima Ibrahim, 42, and Adejimoh Ismaila, 44, with 120 kilograms of skunk recovered.
In Borno state, NDLEA said operatives intercepted 179,590 pills of tramadol and diazepam concealed in sacks of charcoal and animal feeds in a public transport vehicle coming from Potiskum, Yobe, on Wednesday 21 January.
A follow up operation at Bulabulin in Maiduguri led to the arrest of the owner, Rabiu Imam, 32.
The agency said a female suspect, Mrs Eze Cynthia Chioma, was arrested in Mokwa, Niger state on Friday 23 January following the seizure of 78,500 pills of tramadol the same day at Bode Saadu in Kwara state from a truck coming from Lagos.
NDLEA said her husband, who was arrested last year for the same offence, is currently remanded in prison and facing trial.
In Ekiti state, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 24 January arrested 72-year-old Afolalu Joseph at Ilawe Ekiti and Abu Bunmi, also known as Go Slow, 45, at Erijinyan road, Ilawe Ekiti, for illicit drug dealing. The agency said 62 kilograms of skunk were recovered from them.
NDLEA said a village head, Chief James Abamu, and another suspect, Aboy Egah Abamu, were taken into custody in Edo state following their arrest and transfer by soldiers of the Nigerian Army 4 Brigade Benin City after a raid at Lagos camp Ilushi in Esan South-East LGA.
It said 681 kilograms of skunk and 181 kilograms of cannabis seeds were recovered on Wednesday 21 January.
In Kano, NDLEA said Abba Hassan, Anas Moh’d Auwal and Sadik Ismail were arrested on Tuesday 20 January in the Sabon Gari area with 1,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
In Oyo state, the agency said Olajumoke Ridwan and Baruwa Ibukun were arrested at Paris Lounge Ring Road Ibadan on Thursday 22 January with 181.5 litres of skuchies recovered.
NDLEA said a female suspect, Janet Iornongu, was arrested in Yes Ikyuan village, Guma LGA Benue state with 210 kilograms of skunk, while 254.5 kilograms of the same substance was seized from Anita Job along the Abaji Toto road in the FCT on Thursday 22 January.
The agency also said 39,800 pills of tramadol 225mg were recovered from Hamisu Misbahu and Chima Obi at Alaba Rago Mile 2 Lagos on Monday 19 January.
In Delta state, NDLEA said 30,003 pills of tramadol, molly and other opioids as well as 20 litres of codeine syrup were seized from Chinyecherem Cyprian Ugwu along Sapele Road Warri on Thursday 22 January.
In Ondo state, the agency said Kayode Obameye, 57, was arrested at Mobil roundabout Akure on Friday 23 January with 1,500 kilograms of skunk recovered.
NDLEA said its officers continued War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities nationwide during the week in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities, including lectures in Taraba, Osun, Imo, Benue and Katsina states.
While commending officers involved in the arrests and seizures, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa Retired, urged personnel across the country to maintain professionalism in drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
