NDLEA Arrests Ugandan Woman with 87 Cocaine Wraps at Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Farida Nansubuga, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.15 kilogrammes of cocaine from Nigeria to Uganda.

Nansubuga was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos while preparing to board a flight to her home country. According to the agency, 87 wraps of cocaine were recovered from her pelvic region, where they had been strapped beneath two layers of underwear.

How the Suspect Was Arrested

The NDLEA said the arrest followed a joint passenger screening exercise involving its operatives and aviation security personnel at Terminal 2 of the airport.

The agency's Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said Nansubuga arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos.

While the other members of her delegation reportedly returned to Uganda, she allegedly remained in Nigeria to collect the cocaine on behalf of a friend identified as Joy, who lives in Uganda.

Suspect Expected $1,000 Payment

Preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that an unidentified man handed the drugs to Nansubuga after a contact in Nigeria arranged transportation for her to a hotel.

The suspect allegedly told investigators that she was instructed to conceal the cocaine beneath her clothing to evade airport security. She reportedly expected to receive at least $1,000 after delivering the consignment in Uganda.

Other Drug Seizures Recorded

The NDLEA also reported several other interceptions across the country. At the Lagos airport, operatives recovered 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and valued at approximately ₦900 million. The consignment arrived from India and was allegedly declared as Paracetamol tablets.

In another operation, officers intercepted 32 parcels of Loud weighing 16.15 kilogrammes concealed inside two wooden sofas in a shipment from Houston, United States. They also recovered 600 Tramadol tablets concealed in women's headwear and 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes in shipments destined for the United Kingdom.

NDLEA Warns Against Drug Trafficking

The NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as an example of how drug trafficking networks exploit religious activities and international travel to recruit couriers.

He commended the officers involved and urged personnel across the agency's commands to sustain efforts to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse.