NDLEA Intercepts Drugs Hidden in Frozen Snails, Electric Bulbs, and Female Clothes at Lagos Airport

• The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered multiple consignments of illicit drugs ingeniously concealed in frozen snails, electric bulbs, and female clothing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

The NDLEA has intensified its fight against narcotics traffickers, uncovering a series of daring smuggling attempts at the Lagos airport.

In a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, several arrests were made after officers intercepted shipments of illicit substances hidden in everyday household and food items.

According to the agency, a cargo agent identified as Boladale Riliwan was arrested on October 7, 2025, after operatives discovered 15 parcels of skunk (a potent strain of cannabis) concealed in 10 giant rechargeable electric bulbs he attempted to ship to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a separate operation, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a 48-year-old UK-based public health assistant, was apprehended on October 12 while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester. NDLEA officials discovered 2,300 Tramadol 225mg pills concealed inside frozen snails in her luggage.

The agency also intercepted 810 Bromazepam pills hidden in female clothing at a courier company in Lagos on October 16, targeting the United States.

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Beyond Lagos, NDLEA operatives continued their clampdown on drug networks across Nigeria. In Adamawa State, officers arrested Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South LGA, recovering 38,270 Tramadol pills hidden in the spare tyre and door compartments of a Honda Civic.

In Ekiti State, NDLEA teams destroyed 53,250 kilograms of cannabis (skunk) cultivated on 21.3 hectares of farmland in Ilawe-Ekiti. Three suspects — Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20) — were arrested. A similar raid in Aponmu Forest Reserve, Akure, Ondo State, led to the destruction of another 17,400 kilograms of cannabis.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers for their relentless effort in combating drug trafficking.

“I urge our officers not to relent in their balanced approach to drug control,” Marwa said. “Our goal is a Nigeria free from narcotics and the networks that profit from them.”