Cocaine, tramadol consignments hidden in vehicle side mirrors, lipsticks intercepted at Lagos airport

By OLA MODUPE, Lagos-

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and tramadol 225mg concealed in 71 vehicle side mirrors being sent to Libreville, Gabon through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

The operatives arrested no less than three suspects linked to the cargo in follow-up operations.

The NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.

He said the first batch of the consignment consisting 57,420 pills of tramadol 225mg and 57 pellets of Cocaine weighing 1.60kg were intercepted in a cargo going to Gabon on Air Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday 19th July 2025.

According to him, a popular cargo agent Ihekweme Osinachi Benedict handling the shipment was immediately arrested, after which further investigation led to the arrest of another suspect Uzochukwu Godspower Chukwurah on Sunday 20th July.

“Eleven parcels of cocaine with a total weight of 1kg were later recovered from four additional side mirrors being prepared for export found in the home of Uzochukwu on Monday 21st July, bringing the total number of parcels of cocaine to 68 weighing 2.60 kilograms”, he said.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives on Friday 1st August arrested a businesswoman Mrs. Nwafor Roseann Nneka at her shop within the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos following the interception of 100 grams of cocaine and 300 grams of phenacetine, a cutting agent, concealed in ladies’ lipsticks going to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, through the export shed of the Lagos airport on 10th July 2025.

Two cargo agents linked to the shipment were earlier arrested before the eventual arrest of Nneka who runs the criminal trade as a family business with her husband Remigus Nwafor, currently on the run.

In her statement, Mrs. Nwafor admitted she bought the lipsticks used to conceal the illicit drugs while her husband handled the actual concealment.