The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu over an alleged attempt to traffic cocaine to Portugal.
The agency said the suspect was intercepted at the airport’s departure hall on Thursday, September 25, 2026, while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa.
According to the NDLEA, officers discovered that Chukwulobelu had allegedly ingested cocaine. He was subsequently placed under excretion observation.
The agency said he later expelled 72 wraps of the Class A illicit drug.
Suspect allegedly returned for wedding
The NDLEA said Chukwulobelu resides in Portugal and previously operated a car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, Lagos.
He reportedly relocated to Portugal in May 2023.
According to the agency, the suspect recently returned to Nigeria and got married on September 13, 2026.
The NDLEA said he told investigators that he became involved in drug trafficking allegedly to offset expenses incurred during his wedding.
NDLEA reports other major seizures
The arrest was announced alongside details of other drug enforcement operations carried out across the country.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 2.55 million opioid pills during an examination of three monitored consignments.
The agency said the drugs, which weighed 1,640.55 kilogrammes, included Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg.
The consignments were reportedly imported from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines.
The NDLEA also reported arrests and seizures in Bauchi, Lagos, Oyo, Edo and other locations as part of its continuing operations against illicit drugs.
The agency said its Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain efforts against drug trafficking and abuse.
The case involving Chukwulobelu remains an allegation by the authorities, and any further legal proceedings will determine the outcome.
