NDLEA arrests 74-year-old man with 11kg Cocaine at Abuja airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 74-year-old man, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, after a large consignment of cocaine was discovered concealed in his luggage.

The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

According to the statement, the suspect, who claimed he was travelling to London, United Kingdom, for a vacation, was apprehended at the departure hall of the Abuja airport while attempting to board a British Airways flight BA082 to Heathrow Airport.

Babafemi explained that the arrest was made on Saturday, March 14, 2026, during a routine screening of passengers and their luggage by NDLEA officers.

A search conducted on the suspect’s baggage led to the discovery of several blocks of cocaine weighing about 11 kilograms.

The illicit drugs were reportedly hidden inside food items, including ground dry pepper, and carefully wrapped in foil papers and balloons in an attempt to evade detection.

The NDLEA spokesperson said the suspect was immediately taken into custody for further investigation, while the seized drugs were secured as exhibits.

Babafemi reiterated the agency’s commitment to intensifying surveillance and enforcement at airports and other entry and exit points across the country to curb drug trafficking.