NDLEA Arrests Woman at Lagos Airport With 2.2kg Cocaine Hidden in Suitcase Wall
Claims She Was Traveling for Fibroid Surgery; Drug Lord Suspect on the Run
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 43-year-old woman, Adekoya Adebukonla Mary, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle 2.2 kilograms of cocaine concealed in her suitcase.
NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the arrest was made on Monday, June 16, 2025, just before she boarded a Qatar Airways flight to India via Doha.
After intelligence monitoring, NDLEA officers arrested her at the boarding gate and found two factory-fitted cocaine parcels inside the walls of her suitcase.
False Medical Trip
Adekoya initially claimed she was traveling for fibroid surgery but later confessed she was recruited for the smuggling job with a promise of financial reward.
The operation has been linked to a suspected drug kingpin, Akeem Ayinde Adekanbi, who remains at large. He reportedly resides in Igbe Laara, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, and owns Rockford Hotel in Sango, Ogun State.
Courier Busts
In separate operations, NDLEA officers intercepted:
- 850g of cocaine inside cloth hangers in a package to Australia.
- 1.3kg of Loud (a potent strain of cannabis) hidden in female dresses bound for Bahrain.
NDLEA says it will continue to crack down on drug networks and those using unusual methods to traffic narcotics.