CITIZENS COMPASS— The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Farida Nansubuga, after recovering 87 wraps of cocaine concealed around her private parts at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Nansubuga, who came on a mission work to the The Synagogue For All Nations (SOAN) founded by the late controversial minister, Prophet TB Joshua was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, while attempting to board a flight to Uganda at Terminal 2 of the airport.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the arrest followed a joint passenger screening operation involving agency operatives and aviation security personnel.
According to Babafemi, officers initially suspected that the woman was concealing substances around her pelvic region. A further search conducted in a designated private room led to the recovery of 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.150 kilogrammes.
The drugs were reportedly strapped around her pelvic region beneath two layers of underwear.
During preliminary interrogation, Nansubuga allegedly told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, Lagos.
She claimed that other members of the delegation returned to Uganda after the religious programme, while she stayed behind to collect a drug consignment on behalf of a friend identified as Joy.
The suspect reportedly said Joy connected her with a contact in Nigeria, who arranged for her to be taken to a hotel on the morning of her departure.
She further alleged that a man handed her the cocaine at the hotel and instructed her to conceal the wraps beneath her clothes to avoid detection at the airport.
Nansubuga reportedly expected to receive at least $1,000 after successfully delivering the drugs to Uganda.
In another operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and valued at about ₦900 million.
Babafemi said the drugs were discovered on November 6 during a joint examination involving NDLEA operatives, Nigeria Customs Service officers and other security agencies.
The opioid tablets were concealed in 10 of the 11 cartons, while the remaining carton contained paracetamol tablets allegedly used to disguise the shipment.
The agency also intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 16.15 kilogrammes, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a cargo shipment from Houston, Texas, United States.
The seizure was made on November 4, leading to the arrest of a freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who presented himself to clear the consignment.
A follow-up operation on November 6 led to the arrest of a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, Oyo State, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, who allegedly attempted to collect the package.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun, had sent him to pick up the consignment.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said it had uncovered a syndicate involved in importing chemicals used in the production of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, from the United Kingdom.
According to the agency, nine parcels concealed in cartons of snacks labelled “Michael Tea Guy” were intercepted in a cargo shipment from the UK on October 23.
Two of the parcels contained 1.20 kilogrammes of cannabis, while forensic analysis reportedly established that the remaining seven contained chemicals used in the production of synthetic cannabis.
Several suspects were subsequently arrested in connection with the shipments.
The agency also reported other drug seizures and arrests across Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Taraba, Enugu and Delta states, involving cannabis, tramadol, pregabalin, diazepam, codeine and other illicit substances.
In Ondo State, operatives recovered 1,818 kilogrammes of cannabis along Odofin Road, Uso, on November 6. They also destroyed a one-hectare cannabis farm in Board Forest and recovered an additional 242 kilogrammes of the substance.
In Taraba State, three suspects were arrested within two days with 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255 kilogrammes at an NDLEA checkpoint in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area.
Similarly, operatives in Enugu State arrested two suspects in separate operations, recovering 22.5 kilogrammes of cannabis, 24,000 capsules of tramadol and 697 grammes of ketamine.
The NDLEA further disclosed that it intercepted cannabis shipments destined for the United Kingdom and tramadol consignments heading to the UK and Australia through courier companies in Lagos.
Reacting to the operations, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the arrest of the Ugandan woman showed how drug trafficking networks were exploiting religious activities and international travel to recruit couriers.
Marwa commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s efforts against drug trafficking and substance abuse across the country.
