A 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine to Portugal.
Chukwulobelu was arrested at the departure hall of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on Thursday, September 25, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa.
The NDLEA said the suspect had ingested 72 wraps of cocaine and was placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled all the wraps.
According to the agency, Chukwulobelu had relocated to Portugal in May 2023 after operating a car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, Lagos. He recently returned to Nigeria and got married on September 13.
The NDLEA said the suspect told investigators that he allegedly turned to drug trafficking to offset expenses incurred during his wedding.
In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the agency seized 2.55 million opioid pills weighing 1,640.55 kg.
The drugs, comprising Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg, and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, were recovered from three consignments imported from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir, and Ethiopian Airlines.
In Bauchi, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects with 262.5kg of cannabis concealed in a truck, while two cannabis farms with an estimated yield of 1,360.23kg were destroyed in Edo State.
In Lagos, three suspects were arrested in separate operations, with officers recovering cannabis, pentazocine injections, nitrazepam, and tramadol.
Two Togolese nationals were also arrested in Oyo State with 305.6 kg of cannabis allegedly sourced from Ghana and concealed in two pickup vans.
At the Seme border in Lagos, five suspects were arrested with 420 cartons of nitrous oxide weighing 1,688.4 kg. Two vehicles allegedly used to transport the consignment were also seized.
The NDLEA said its commands also continued anti-drug sensitization campaigns across schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities during the week.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s drug control efforts.
