NDLEA: Italy-Based businessman excretes 98 wraps of cocaine after arrest at Enugu airport

. As NDLEA intercepts Saudi Arabia, Europe-bound cocaine in phone chargers, backpack, recovers large consignments of illicit drugs in Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Abia, Seme, and Tincan operations

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman, Joseph Cyril, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, after he allegedly ingested 98 wraps of cocaine.

NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

According to the agency, Cyril was arrested at the departure hall of the airport on Sunday, August 2, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930 to Italy via Addis Ababa and France.

He was subsequently placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilograms.

Investigations by the agency revealed that the suspect arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13 and allegedly ingested the cocaine at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before proceeding to Enugu to board his flight.

The suspect reportedly told investigators that he had been doing business in Italy for years but agreed to traffic the drugs for a fee of €3,500 to raise money to relocate to Germany, where his family is based.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted 1.2 kilograms of cocaine concealed in 25 phone chargers and destined for Saudi Arabia at a courier company in Lagos.

The agency also thwarted an attempt to export 500 grams of cocaine concealed in the false bottom of a backpack to Italy at another logistics company on Monday.

A separate consignment containing 2.3kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, arriving from the United States was intercepted at a shipping company in Lagos on Tuesday.

In Ondo State, NDLEA officers patrolling the Akure-Ilesha Expressway intercepted a truck carrying 1,633kg of skunk concealed in bags of rice shafts.

Two suspects, Buba Jamilu, 40, and Sanusi Ibrahim, 30, were arrested in connection with the consignment.

Operatives also recovered 147kg of skunk during a raid on Ita Ogbolu forest.

In Oyo State, the agency raided a suspected drug warehouse in Elebure village, Orire Local Government Area, recovering 731.03kg of illicit drugs.

A 57-year-old suspect, Felicia Thompson, was arrested, while her alleged accomplice, Thompson Vincent Nwaka, was said to be at large.

NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, also recovered 65 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 604.5kg during an operation at Ewe Luleha in Owan West LGA of Edo State.

In Abia State, a suspected drug joint operator, Chibuike Charles, 31, was arrested at his base in Osisioma LGA, where seven kilograms of skunk were seized.

The agency said a wanted suspected drug dealer, Adome Claude Sikuru, was also arrested at the Fibre Market drug jungle in Badagry, Lagos, on Saturday following a three-month manhunt. Operatives allegedly recovered 88.5kg of skunk from him.

At the Tincan Port complex in Lagos, NDLEA officers, Customs personnel and other security agencies discovered 73 cartons containing 442 packets of cookies and gummies infused with cannabis during a joint examination of a 40-foot container.

The seized products weighed 309.4kg, while a suspect, Larry Nnaji, was arrested in connection with the consignment.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged personnel nationwide to sustain the agency’s drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.