Two Nigeria‑based businessmen seized with 200 cocaine wraps at Abuja airport

Two men identified as Aliocus Godian Odife and Sam Blackborn were detained by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on 28 October 2026. The pair were attempting to board Air France flight AF 832 bound for Paris when body‑scan equipment detected foreign objects in their stomachs. Both men had ingested cocaine pellets, later excreted under observation, amounting to a total of 200 wraps and 3.46 kilograms of the Class A drug.

Odife, a Nigerian who lives in France and works in a factory, had arrived in Nigeria on 21 October for a short holiday. He confessed to swallowing 110 wraps, which were recovered weighing 1.901 kg. Blackborn, his co‑traveller, admitted to ingesting 90 wraps, recovered at 1.559 kg. The NDLEA disclosed the arrests in a statement released on 1 November 2026 by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

Background

The NDLEA has been intensifying its anti‑drug operations across Nigeria. In addition to the Abuja seizure, the agency reported a series of unrelated drug busts in October 2026. In Lagos, officers intercepted two commercial buses on 25 October, seizing a combined 976 kg of “skunk” cannabis. In Oyo State, two suspects were arrested on 29 October while loading 554 kg of cannabis onto a Volvo truck. Kano State saw raids that recovered large quantities of diazepam, Exol‑5, and tramadol tablets, as well as arrests linked to ammunition and other controlled substances. These operations are part of a broader crackdown following earlier raids on a notorious dealer known as Omo Oba, who evaded capture after a seizure of 309.5 kg of Ghanaian loud cannabis on 25 October.

Why it matters

The seizure underscores the NDLEA’s focus on preventing drug trafficking via air routes, a known conduit for high‑value narcotics such as cocaine. The 3.46 kg of cocaine intercepted represents a significant quantity that could have entered the European market, potentially fueling further criminal activity. The arrests also highlight the agency’s capability to detect internally concealed drugs, a method increasingly used by traffickers to evade detection. The broader series of seizures across Lagos, Oyo, and Kano indicates a nationwide effort to curb both cannabis and pharmaceutical narcotics, which have been linked to rising abuse and public health concerns in Nigeria.

What happens next

Following standard procedure, both Odife and Blackborn were placed under observation after their excretions were collected and tested positive for cocaine. The NDLEA has not yet announced formal charges or court dates, but the agency’s statements suggest that investigations will continue to determine any wider trafficking network involved. The agency also indicated that the recent string of seizures will inform future enforcement strategies, with further operations planned to target drug smuggling routes and storage facilities across the country.