Ugandan Woman Arrested With 87 Cocaine Wraps: 7 Shocking Details About Lagos Airport Drug Bust
A 34-year-old Ugandan woman has been arrested at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) allegedly discovered 87 wraps of cocaine concealed beneath her clothing.
The suspect, identified as Farida Nansubuga, was intercepted on November 3, 2026, while preparing to board a Uganda Airlines flight to her home country.
According to the NDLEA’s official statement on the arrest, the cocaine weighed 1.15 kilograms and was strapped around her pelvic region beneath two layers of underwear.
The agency said the woman had travelled to Nigeria with members of her church for a prayer session before allegedly staying behind to collect a drug consignment for a friend.
The arrest was part of a wider series of drug interceptions and operations reported by the NDLEA across Lagos and several Nigerian states.
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1. Ugandan Woman Intercepted at Lagos Airport
Nansubuga was reportedly intercepted at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport during a joint passenger screening exercise involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel.
She was preparing to leave Nigeria when officers reportedly became suspicious of an item concealed around her pelvic region.
A subsequent search conducted in a designated private room allegedly led to the discovery of 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilograms.
The agency said the drugs had been strapped around her body and concealed beneath two layers of underwear.
2. Suspect Says She Came to Nigeria for Church Prayer Session
According to the NDLEA, Nansubuga told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos.
She reportedly said the other members of the delegation returned to Uganda after the religious gathering, while she remained in Nigeria.
The suspect allegedly explained that she stayed behind to collect a consignment for a friend identified only as Joy, who lives in Uganda.
Her account was disclosed by the agency and has not independently established the involvement of the church or other members of the delegation in drug trafficking.
3. Suspect Allegedly Expected $1,000 for Cocaine Delivery
Nansubuga reportedly told investigators that Joy connected her with a man in Nigeria who arranged transportation to a hotel.
According to her account, the man handed her the cocaine and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing to evade airport screening.
She allegedly said no definite payment had been agreed, but she expected to receive at least $1,000 after successfully delivering the package.
The NDLEA said investigations were ongoing to identify other individuals allegedly connected to the consignment.
4. NDLEA Intercepts 750,000 Tapentadol Tablets Worth ₦900 Million
In a separate operation at Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of tapentadol, an opioid, weighing 526 kilograms and reportedly valued at ₦900 million.
The shipment arrived from Ahmedabad, India, on November 3 aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
According to the agency, the 11 cartons were declared as 500mg paracetamol tablets.
Officers reportedly placed the shipment under surveillance before examining it alongside officials of the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on November 6.
The examination allegedly revealed that 10 cartons contained tapentadol tablets, while the remaining carton contained paracetamol.
5. Cannabis and Synthetic Drug Chemicals Discovered in Cargo Shipments
The NDLEA also reported intercepting 32 parcels of cannabis, popularly known as Loud, weighing 16.15 kilograms at Lagos airport on November 4.
The agency said the drugs were concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated shipment from Houston, United States.
Freight agent Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale was reportedly arrested when he arrived to clear the cargo, while 34-year-old caterer Adeoye Sarafa Ojo was arrested on November 6 when he came to collect it.
In another operation, officers intercepted parcels containing cannabis and chemicals allegedly used in producing Colorado, a synthetic form of cannabis.
The shipments reportedly arrived from the United Kingdom in cartons labelled as snacks and detergent products.
The NDLEA said the combined seizure included 1.20 kilograms of cannabis and 28.65 kilograms of chemicals allegedly used in producing synthetic cannabis.
6. NDLEA Reports Major Cannabis Seizures Across Several States
Beyond Lagos, the agency reported significant cannabis recoveries in Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Taraba, Enugu and Delta states.
In Ondo State, operatives reportedly recovered 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818 kilograms along Odofin Road in Uso on November 6.
During another operation at Board Forest, officers destroyed a one-hectare cannabis plantation, recovered 242 kilograms of cannabis and arrested 36-year-old Itoro Linus Akpan.
In Ekiti State, Agbo Paul Peter, 53, was reportedly arrested at Osin Forest with 216 kilograms of cannabis and cannabis seeds.
Edo operatives also intercepted a Volkswagen Golf carrying 19 bags of cannabis weighing 201 kilograms along the Auchi-Ibillo road.
In Taraba State, officers reportedly seized 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255 kilograms over two days at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area.
7. NDLEA Arrests Suspects With Tramadol and Other Controlled Drugs
The agency also reported several arrests involving tramadol, pregabalin, diazepam, codeine and other controlled substances.
In Apapa, Lagos, officers allegedly recovered cannabis, tramadol, pregabalin, diazepam and codeine from a storage space inside the apartment of 32-year-old Abubakar Ali.
At the Ugwuoba checkpoint in Enugu State, operatives reportedly arrested Godwin Shaapera, 40, with 24,000 tramadol capsules weighing 13.4 kilograms and 697 grams of ketamine.
In Delta State, officers also reported recovering skunk, tramadol, Rohypnol and laughing gas during separate operations.
The NDLEA said its commands continued drug-awareness activities in schools and communities as part of its War Against Drug Abuse campaign.
NDLEA Chairman Reacts to Arrests and Seizures
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa commended officers involved in the arrests and seizures.
Reacting to Nansubuga’s case, Marwa reportedly said drug trafficking networks were increasingly exploiting religious travel and other legitimate activities to recruit couriers.
He urged officers across the agency’s commands to intensify efforts to disrupt drug supply chains while strengthening public awareness and prevention programmes.
Conclusion
The arrest of Farida Nansubuga with 87 alleged cocaine wraps at Lagos airport has highlighted concerns about international drug trafficking networks and the recruitment of couriers.
The NDLEA’s additional seizures involving tapentadol, cannabis, tramadol and synthetic drug chemicals demonstrate the scale of its recent operations across Nigeria.
However, the allegations against the arrested individuals remain subject to investigation and the judicial process.
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