A 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over an alleged attempt to traffic cocaine to Portugal.
Chukwulobelu was intercepted on Thursday, September 25, 2026, at the departure hall of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa.
The NDLEA said he had swallowed 72 wraps of cocaine. He was placed under observation and later excreted all 72 wraps. The agency said he was still wearing his wedding ring when arrested.
According to investigators, Chukwulobelu previously ran a car decoration business at Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, before moving to Portugal in May 2023. He returned recently and married on September 13, 2026. He allegedly said he went into drug trafficking to cover wedding expenses.
Elsewhere, NDLEA officers seized 2,550,000 opioid pills weighing 1,640.55kg at Lagos airport. The drugs, imported from India and Bangladesh, included Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg.
In Bauchi, 262.5kg of cannabis was recovered from two suspects. Officers also destroyed two cannabis farms in Edo with an estimated yield of 1,360.23kg.
In Lagos, 58-year-old Ugwu Johnson was arrested with skunk, pentazocine, nitrazepam and tramadol, while two women were arrested in Mushin with 3.4kg of skunk.
Two Togolese nationals were also arrested in Oyo with 305.6kg of cannabis sourced from Ghana.
At Seme border, five suspects were arrested with 420 cartons of nitrous oxide weighing 1,688.4kg.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse campaigns across schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers involved and urged personnel nationwide to maintain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
