morgANABLE News/Crime& Courts
Babafemi explained that investigations revealed Ebubechukwu’s involvement in coordinating previous illicit consignments, adding that the suspect admitted to masterminding multiple drug shipments.
KaNo—
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a convicted cocaine trafficker who allegedly posed as a herbal tea businessman while orchestrating illicit drug shipments, including a 1.2 kilogram consignment of cocaine bound for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, noting that the suspect’s arrest followed intelligence-led operations triggered by the interception of the cocaine shipment at a courier firm in Lagos on July 31, 2026.
According to the statement, the suspect, 34-year-old Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu, was apprehended during a sting operation at Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market in the Ojo area of Lagos, on Friday, September 4.
He was said to have been operating under the guise of a herbal tea merchant as a cover for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities.
Babafemi explained that investigations revealed Ebubechukwu’s involvement in coordinating previous illicit consignments, adding that the suspect admitted to masterminding multiple drug shipments.
Further checks by the agency uncovered that the suspect had a prior criminal record linked to drug trafficking.
Suspect Previously Arrested, Prosecuted
Babafemi stated that Ebubechukwu was first arrested in 2011 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, after ingesting 900 grams of cocaine and 130 grams of heroin in an attempt to travel to Austria under a different identity.
“He was prosecuted for the offence, convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment.
After serving his jail term, he changed his name to Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu and returned to the illicit drug trade,” the NDLEA spokesperson said.
A search conducted at the suspect’s residence located at No. 6 Yemishola Street, Ejigbo, Lagos, led to the recovery of several phone chargers similar to those used to conceal the intercepted cocaine shipment.
The chargers had their internal components removed, creating hidden compartments for smuggling narcotics.
The arrest, Babafemi said, was part of a broader nationwide crackdown by the NDLEA across nine states, which resulted in multiple seizures of illicit drugs and the arrest of several suspects involved in trafficking networks.
NDLEA Intercepts Tramadol Tablets
The drugs, valued at over N1.1 billion, were hidden among used trousers.
In a separate seizure, officials recovered 57.80 kilograms of a synthetic cannabis strain known as “Loud,” valued at more than N173 million, concealed in cartons of disposable hand gloves in a shipment originating from Singapore.
Babafemi noted that the consignment had remained unclaimed for weeks before it was subjected to a joint examination involving NDLEA officers, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies on Thursday, September 3.
In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker marked MKA 960 XC along the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway on Friday, September 4. The driver reportedly refused to stop when flagged down, prompting a pursuit by officers.
NDLEA Uncovers Cannabis In Fuel Tanker
A subsequent search of the tanker uncovered a hidden compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145 kilograms, concealed alongside legitimate fuel cargo destined for Jos, Plateau State.
At the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, operatives intercepted 598.08 kilograms of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies in a 40-foot container on Wednesday, September 2.
The seizure, according to Babafemi, was linked to three suspects,Yashim Dauji, Larry Ifeanyi, and Joseph Moji who had earlier been arrested in connection with a previous seizure of cannabis-laced edibles at the port.
In Adamawa State, operatives recovered 864,000 pills of opioids, mainly tramadol, from a residence associated with a fleeing suspect identified as Patrick KC Frank.
They made the discovery in the Damilu and Jambutu areas of Jimeta in Yola North Local Government Area.
In a separate operation in Michika, Adamawa State, a 35-year-old suspect, Calistus Ebubechukwu, was arrested with two kilograms of methamphetamine.
Similarly, Attahiru Hussaini was apprehended at the Namtari checkpoint in Mubi on August 31 with tramadol and other opioids concealed in a soap-laden Ford Galaxy bus.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 2,386.9 kilograms of cannabis, 350 grams of cocaine, over 100 kilograms of assorted tramadol grades, 9.7 litres of codeine syrup, and four kilograms of rohypnol at the Gbaji area.
Two suspects, Damilare Francis and Emeh Emmanuel, were also arrested with 720 kilograms of cannabis at Agbara.
In Kogi State, three suspects, Saidu Mustapha, Zaharadeen Salisu, and AbdulSalam Abdullahi, were arrested with 636 kilograms of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Owo, Ondo State, to Jos, Plateau State.
In Taraba State, a 58-year-old suspect, Kelechi Unachukwu, was arrested along the Zaki-Biam road in Wukari Local Government Area with over 109 kilograms of various psychotropic substances, including tramadol, diazepam, and pentazocine, concealed in his vehicle.
Further seizures were recorded in Kaduna, where a truck loaded with cement bags was intercepted along the Zaria-Kano expressway with 1,179 kilograms of skunk concealed within.
In Bauchi State, a suspect, Hamza Dahiru, was arrested in a follow-up operation linked to the seizure of 322.5 kilograms of cannabis in Gombe State.
In Ekiti State, two suspects were arrested after operatives uncovered and destroyed a four-hectare cannabis farm in Efon-Alaaye forest, recovering 117 kilograms of processed cannabis.
Meanwhile, in Enugu State, a 20-year-old suspect was arrested with 40,590 capsules of tramadol at Ugbema Junction.
NDLEA Sustain WADA Campaigns
Babafemi stated that the NDLEA also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns nationwide, targeting schools, workplaces, and communities.
These included awareness lectures for nursing mothers and healthcare workers in Ogun State, youth groups in Abia State, and staff of the Nigeria LNG facility in Rivers State.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers and personnel across various commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the operations.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to intensifying efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse across the country, warning that traffickers would continue to face the full weight of the law.
