The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has uncovered a coordinated drug trafficking network that used cosmetics containers, household appliances and courier channels to conceal illegal substances — as operatives also stormed a Lagos nightclub allegedly hosting a drug party.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said operatives carried out a targeted raid at about 3 a.m. on Sunday, October 26, at Proxy Night Club in Victoria Island, Lagos. More than 100 suspects, including the club’s owner, socialite Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu (popularly known as “Pretty Mike”), were arrested.
Babafemi said cartons of illicit substances — including “loud” (a high-grade strain of cannabis) and cylinders of nitrous oxide, commonly called “laughing gas” — were recovered from suspects on the dance floor and from the club’s storage area.
He said the raid followed credible intelligence that the venue was being used to host a drug party.
In a separate operation at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, NDLEA officers intercepted a London-bound consignment containing 70 parcels of cocaine, weighing 3.6kg, hidden inside cocoa butter “body cream” containers.
A cargo agent, identified as Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, was arrested. His arrest led to the tracking and detention of two alleged accomplices: Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah and Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, described as the chief executive of a travel agency.
At Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, NDLEA operatives arrested a Lesotho national, 35-year-old Lemena Mark, who allegedly attempted to export 103.59 grams of methamphetamine to the Philippines. The drug was concealed in a package labelled as “diabeta herbs coffee tea.”
Outside the airports, NDLEA said its operatives in Kwara State arrested 40-year-old Umar Abubakar with 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg hidden inside a 100-litre water heater.
In Taraba State, two suspects — 26-year-old Auwal Musa and 22-year-old Salihu Bala — were detained at a checkpoint in Dan-Anacha with 450,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5, both controlled substances.
Other seizures reported by the agency include:
- 162.2kg of cannabis (skunk) in Kogi State
- 128kg of cannabis in Nasarawa State
- 500 grams of “loud” recovered from an alleged distributor, Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, in Lekki, Lagos
- 275 litres of “skuchies” — a cocktail made from cannabis, blackcurrant drink and opioids — recovered in Ikorodu
The agency also confirmed arrests in Abia, Ondo, Kaduna and Zamfara states. In Zamfara, NDLEA said it recovered arms and ammunition from a suspect believed to be transporting supplies to bandits.
The NDLEA said investigations are ongoing and that all suspects will be charged accordingly.
