A 25-year-old businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu for allegedly trying to smuggle 72 wraps of cocaine to Portugal. The arrest occurred on Thursday, September 25, 2026, just weeks after Chukwulobelu's wedding on September 13, 2026, which he reportedly financed through drug trafficking due to incurred expenses.

According to a statement from Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, Chukwulobelu was intercepted at the airport's departure hall while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa. He was found wearing his wedding ring at the time of his arrest, highlighting the stark contrast between his celebratory occasion and his criminal activities.

Upon his interception, Chukwulobelu was placed under observation for excretion, during which he expelled the concealed cocaine. The NDLEA's statement indicated that he had claimed to be involved in the car decoration business before relocating to Portugal in May 2023. His return to Nigeria for his wedding was marked by a desperate attempt to cover the financial burden of the event through illicit means.

In addition to Chukwulobelu's case, the NDLEA reported several other significant drug seizures across the country. Recently, 2,550,000 pills of Tramadol and Royal Tapentadol were discovered at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. These drugs, weighing approximately 1,640.55kg, were found during a joint examination of three monitored consignments imported from India and Bangladesh.

Further operations in Bauchi State led to the arrest of two suspects, Umar Hamidu and Abdulkarim Salihu, who were found with 300 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 262.5kg. This cannabis was concealed in a truck along the Maiduguri bypass. In Edo State, NDLEA officers, supported by soldiers, destroyed two cannabis farms estimated to yield 1,360.23kg of the drug.

In Lagos, two women were arrested with 3.4kg of skunk, while another suspect was caught with various drugs, including 5.920kg of skunk and 40,000 pills of Tramadol. The NDLEA also apprehended two Togolese nationals in Oyo State with 305.6kg of skunk as part of a cross-border trafficking operation.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), the NDLEA Chairman, commended the efforts of the agency's operatives across various commands for their commitment to combating drug trafficking. He urged them to continue their balanced approach to drug control, emphasizing the importance of maintaining vigilance in the fight against narcotics in Nigeria.