Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended three individuals, including a Nigeria-based businessman in China and two Angolan nationals, for trafficking cocaine at airports in Abuja and Kano.
The arrests occurred during separate operations on February 4, 2026, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
The 34-year-old businessman, Ibeanu Vincent Chukwudulue, was intercepted while trying to board a Qatar Airways flight from Kano to China via Abuja and Doha. Following a body scan, he was found to have ingested illegal drugs and subsequently excreted 52 pellets of cocaine weighing 735.95 grams. Ibeanu revealed that he had relocated to Guangzhou, China, in 2024 after previously running a business on Lagos Island.
Meanwhile, in Kano, two Angolan nationals, Mbandu Martins Makiadi, 50, and Ngoma Wilson Fernando, 52, were stopped at the departure hall as they prepared to travel to Istanbul via Addis Ababa. Body scans revealed they had ingested narcotics, with Mbandu excreting 76 wraps weighing 920 grams and Ngoma passing 108 pellets totaling 1.33 kilograms.
The suspects stated that they were recruited by a Luanda-based automobile spare parts dealer, who promised $3,000 each for delivering the drugs to Turkey.
The NDLEA has confirmed that investigations into the case are ongoing.
