Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, with 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine allegedly concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
According to the NDLEA, a search of Tunde and his luggage led to the discovery of 16 parcels of a white powdery substance hidden inside the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes. Operatives also found 195 wraps concealed within the railings of four travelling bags.
The agency said the recovered substances were tested and confirmed to be cocaine, with a combined weight of 4.80kg.
During questioning, Tunde reportedly told investigators that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes. He allegedly said the separate consignment hidden in the travelling bags was intended to be delivered to his business partner in Italy.
The suspect also reportedly claimed that he obtained the money used to purchase the cocaine from compensation he received following an injury sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy. According to his account, he lost the tips of two fingers in the workplace incident.
The airport arrest was part of a wider series of intelligence-led operations conducted by the NDLEA across the country.
The agency also reported major seizures of illicit drugs at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne ports, involving consignments of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup with a combined value running into billions of naira.
At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working with Customs officials and other stakeholders, subjected two containers from Bangkok, Thailand, to a 100 per cent examination following intelligence received by the agency.
The search of one container resulted in the recovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg and valued at N372 million. The drugs were allegedly concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons.
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two containers placed on the NDLEA’s watchlist were subjected to a joint examination. The operation led to the seizure of 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg, concealed in a travelling bag and inside three vehicles shipped in one of the containers.
Another container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. The NDLEA said the shipment originated from India and was routed through Saudi Arabia, with details of its origin allegedly removed to avoid detection.
At the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, operatives also intercepted a watch-listed container from Montreal, Canada. The search reportedly yielded 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg and valued at more than N3.8 billion.
The NDLEA said the drugs were concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags.
The agency also reported the destruction of more than 20,000kg of cannabis cultivated on an 8.0936-hectare farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State.
In Plateau State, operatives arrested a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, after recovering 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg in the West of Mines area of Jos North.
In Lagos, the agency recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol from an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace. A 23-year-old suspect, Ekundayo Taiwo, was later arrested during a follow-up operation.
The NDLEA said the arrests and seizures formed part of its ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit substances from being moved through Nigeria’s airports, seaports and other transportation routes.
