Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA have arrested two Europe-based Nigerian travelers who allegedly attempted to smuggle 200 wraps of cocaine through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Godian Odife and Sam Blackborn, were intercepted on Wednesday, October 28, during departure clearance for Air France flight AF 832 to Paris, France. According to a statement issued on Sunday, November 1, by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, both men had travelled to Nigeria for holidays before attempting to return to Europe with the substances concealed inside their bodies. The agency confirmed that the recovered cocaine weighed a combined 3.460 kilograms.
Odife, who reportedly resides in France and works in a factory, arrived in Nigeria on October 21 for a short holiday. His return journey was interrupted when NDLEA officers subjected him to a body scan during departure screening. The examination revealed foreign objects inside his stomach, prompting further questioning. According to the agency, Odife admitted swallowing 110 pellets containing cocaine. He was subsequently placed under observation, during which he excreted all 110 wraps. The recovered substances tested positive for cocaine and weighed 1.901 kilograms. Investigators have not publicly disclosed the intended recipients of the consignment or whether the suspect was acting independently.
The second suspect, Sam Blackborn, was intercepted during clearance for the same Air France flight. NDLEA officers conducted a body scan that also indicated the presence of concealed objects. The agency said Blackborn admitted swallowing 90 cocaine pellets and was placed under observation until all the wraps were recovered. The recovered consignment weighed 1.559 kilogrammes and tested positive for cocaine. Together, the seizures brought the total to 200 wraps weighing 3.460 kilogrammes. The agency did not disclose whether the two men had coordinated their alleged activities or were linked to a wider international trafficking network. Both remain suspects, and the allegations against them are subject to the criminal justice process.
The discovery highlights the continued use of internal drug concealment by suspected international traffickers attempting to move prohibited substances across borders. The practice involves swallowing packages containing drugs to conceal them during travel. Medical professionals warn that this method can be life threatening because a damaged package may release a potentially fatal quantity of narcotics into the body. In the Abuja case, NDLEA said the suspects were placed under observation until the concealed substances were recovered. No medical complications were reported in the agency’s public statement, although it did not provide detailed information about the men’s health conditions following the recovery.
Cocaine concealed in swallowed packages presents serious medical risks and is targeted through airport screening and drug interdiction operations.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retired), commended the officers involved in the interception. He described the arrests as a warning to individuals who believe that living abroad could help them evade scrutiny while trafficking illegal drugs through Nigeria’s airports. Marwa emphasised that officers stationed at entry and exit points would remain vigilant against attempts to move narcotics across international borders. He also warned about the dangers associated with ingesting illegal substances for financial gain. The agency’s position reflects its continuing focus on identifying suspected international drug couriers and disrupting trafficking activities through passenger screening, intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security institutions.
The Abuja airport arrests formed part of a wider series of NDLEA operations carried out across several states during the final week of October. In Lagos, operatives intercepted a white Volkswagen LT 28 bus along Kudirat Abiola Way in Ikeja on Sunday, October 25, and recovered 537 kilogrammes of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis. On the same day, another team intercepted a brown J5 bus along the Gbagada Oshodi Expressway, recovering an additional 439 kilogrammes of the substance. The two seizures amounted to 976 kilogrammes, demonstrating the scale of suspected domestic drug distribution activities being investigated by the agency. NDLEA said the operations were based on intelligence concerning the movement of illegal substances between different parts of Lagos.
NDLEA officers have also recovered substantial quantities of illegal drugs during operations in Lagos and other states.
In Oyo State, officers arrested two suspects identified as Oguntona Nasiru, 46, and Soji Balogun, 47, during a follow-up operation along Idere Road in Igboora on Thursday, October 29. The suspects were allegedly loading 554 kilogrammes of skunk into a Volvo truck when they were apprehended. The operation followed an earlier raid targeting a suspected drug dealer known as Omo Oba, who reportedly escaped arrest on October 25. During that earlier operation, officers recovered 309.5 kilogrammes of a cannabis strain described as Ghanaian Loud. The Oyo arrests formed part of ongoing efforts to identify suspected suppliers, disrupt distribution networks and recover illegal substances before they reach consumers.
The agency also recorded major seizures involving pharmaceutical substances in Kano State. On October 26, operatives raided a location in the Tsamiya area of Gezawa and recovered 247,500 diazepam tablets weighing 57.7 kilogrammes, alongside 100,000 Exol-5 tablets weighing 38.7 kilogrammes. Two days later, officers conducted another operation in Dorayi, where Ziya’ulhaq Abdullahi, 35, and Garba Muhammed, 52, were arrested with 19,250 tramadol tablets weighing approximately 13.6 kilogrammes. The seizures illustrate the range of substances targeted by drug enforcement authorities, including cocaine, cannabis and controlled pharmaceutical products. Investigators are expected to examine the origins and intended distribution channels of the recovered consignments.
The latest interceptions also reflect the longstanding challenge of drug trafficking through international airports, highways and other transportation networks in Nigeria. Established under the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act of 1989, the NDLEA is responsible for enforcing laws against illicit drug production, trafficking and related offences. Over the years, the agency has expanded its activities to include airport screening, intelligence operations, international cooperation and preventive education. The use of internal concealment remains particularly concerning because of the serious medical risks faced by those transporting narcotics inside their bodies. The Abuja arrests demonstrate how passenger screening can identify suspected trafficking attempts, although detecting couriers represents only one part of the broader effort to dismantle criminal supply networks.
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa has called for sustained enforcement and public education to discourage drug trafficking and substance abuse.
Beyond arrests and seizures, the NDLEA has continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation programme in schools, workplaces, worship centres and communities. Recent activities included awareness sessions at Obawole Grammar School II in Lagos, Nsukka High School in Enugu State, Government Technical College in Kano and Ajagbe Comprehensive High School in Ogun State. The agency maintains that public education is an important complement to enforcement because reducing demand for illegal substances can help address the wider drug problem. The programme also seeks to inform young people about the health, social and legal consequences of substance abuse while encouraging families and communities to support prevention initiatives. Marwa has urged officers across the country to sustain both enforcement operations and preventive education.
As of November 2, 2026, the NDLEA has confirmed the arrest of Aliocus Godian Odife and Sam Blackborn and the recovery of 200 cocaine wraps weighing 3.460 kilogrammes at Abuja airport. The agency has not publicly announced their arraignment, identified the alleged organisers of the consignment or disclosed whether additional suspects are being investigated in connection with the attempted shipment to France. The two men remain entitled to the presumption of innocence unless convicted by a competent court. The latest operation underscores the continuing challenge of transnational drug trafficking and the importance of effective airport screening, intelligence sharing, international cooperation and drug abuse prevention. NDLEA officials say efforts to intercept prohibited substances and identify suspected trafficking networks will continue across the country’s airports, highways and other major transportation routes.
