The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reported a series of significant operations across the country, including the interception of 30.09 kilograms of heroin concealed in coffee packs, valued at over N3 billion in street value, smuggled by a Brazilian national at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.

In a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, was arrested on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon arrival from a Qatar Airways flight QR1431.

Acting on intelligence, operatives searched her two checked-in bags and discovered 21 factory-sealed packets of Brazilian coffee. Instead of the beverage, the packets contained white heroin totaling 30.09kg – marking the largest single heroin seizure at the Abuja airport.

The suspect claimed she intended the trip as a holiday.

The agency also highlighted efforts to disrupt illicit supply chains linked to potential security threats. On Friday, January 23, operatives arrested two suspects, Aminu Ali Baba, 20, and Abdulrasheed Abubakar, 28, in connection with two bags containing 140 packets of explosives intended for Kano and Kaduna.

The bags were intercepted in a commercial bus along the Kaduna-Zaria highway in Zaria, with follow-up arrests made at Karota park in Kano and Mando park in Kaduna.

Additional raids yielded substantial drug recoveries:- At Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Tuesday, January 20, two passengers bound for Istanbul, Turkey, were intercepted with 3,990 pills of tapentadol and tramaking concealed in food items.

– Marine Command operatives seized 1,848kg of Ghana Loud cannabis (in 44 jumbo bags) from a wooden boat at Jakande beach, Lekki, Lagos, early Thursday, January 22.

– In Borno State on Wednesday, January 21, 179,590 pills of tramadol and diazepam hidden in charcoal and animal feed sacks were recovered from a public transport vehicle from Potiskum, Yobe, leading to the arrest of Rabiu Imam, 32, in Maiduguri.

– In Niger State, Mrs. Eze Cynthia Chioma was arrested in Mokwa on Friday, January 23, following the seizure of 78,500 tramadol pills in Kwara State; her husband is already facing trial for similar offenses.

– In Ekiti State on Saturday, January 24, operatives arrested 72-year-old Afolalu Joseph and Abu Bunmi (alias Go Slow), 45, recovering 62kg of skunk.

– In Edo State, village head Chief James Abamu and Aboy Egah Abamu were taken into custody after soldiers transferred them following a raid at Lagos camp, Ilushi, on Wednesday, January 21, where 681kg skunk and 181kg cannabis seeds were recovered.

– Other seizures included 210kg skunk in Benue, 254.5kg in FCT, 39,800 tramadol pills in Lagos, 30,003 opioid pills and 20 liters of codeine in Delta, and 1,500kg skunk in Ondo.

The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization efforts in schools and communities across states like Taraba, Osun, Imo, Benue, and Katsina.

Commending officers from various commands for their professionalism, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged all personnel to sustain high standards in supply and demand reduction activities nationwide.

• Photo: Fatima and her children

Malam Auwal, father of the prime suspect arrested for the murder of seven family members in Dorayi Chiranchi area of Kano metropolis, has called on authorities to swiftly punish his son, Umar Auwal, without delay.

Fatima Abubakar, 35, and her children were reportedly murdered by assailants, allegedly led by Umar who broke into their residence at Dorayi Gidan Kwari, sparking outrage across Kano and beyond.

Umar, who is currently in police custody, is accused of murdering his aunt, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children in broad daylight on Saturday.

The victims include Maimuna (17), Aisha (16), Bashir (13), Abubakar (10), Faruk (7) and Abdussalam (one-and-a-half years old).

Police confirmed that the suspect has confessed to the killings, as well as a recent attack in Tudun Yola where two housewives were murdered and their home set ablaze.

In an interview with Freedom Radio, Malam Auwal distanced himself from his son, describing him as “useless to society” and insisting that he should be executed rather than kept in prison.

“What he committed against my younger sister and her six children, my wife’s younger sister and her co-wife is condemnable. I distance myself from him,” Auwal said.

He further alleged that Umar had killed his younger sister some years ago and plucked out her eyes.“I don’t even want them to waste time on prosecution. Umar and his likes are supposed to be eliminated. They are not supposed to be remanded and fed with taxpayers’ money,” he added.

The grieving father commended the police for their handling of the case, saying he had already “sacrificed” his son, and vowed that neither him nor his wife (Umar’s mother), would attend any court proceedings during the trials.

In a major breakthrough for Nigeria’s anti-narcotics campaign, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo”, ending a 12-year manhunt tied to the brutal killing of three NDLEA officers.

The suspect, described as notorious for drug trafficking, repeated evasion of arrest, and mobilizing armed thugs against security agents, was apprehended on Friday, January 16, 2026, at his hideout in Owode town, Ogun State, following credible intelligence and a tactical operation by NDLEA teams.

During the arrest, operatives recovered 69 kilograms of skunk (a potent strain of cannabis) from the location.

According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Jimoh’s criminal record dates back to June 15, 2014, when he allegedly orchestrated a violent mob attack on a team of NDLEA officers attempting to arrest him at his enclave.

The assault, carried out by armed thugs mobilized by Jimoh, resulted in the cold-blooded murder of three officers, including Rabiu Usman Kazaure and two others.

Jimoh escaped the scene at the time and remained a fugitive, even after a subsequent NDLEA raid on his residence in Ado-Odo, Ogun State, on August 12, 2023, where officers seized 1,922 kilograms (139 sacks) of skunk.

That property was later forfeited to the Federal Government through court proceedings.

NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), hailed the arrest as “a triumph of justice” and a powerful reminder that the agency never forgets its fallen officers.

“You may run, and you may hide for a season, but the long arm of the law will eventually find you,” Marwa said. “This arrest is for the families of those three officers who have waited 12 years for justice.

Today, we have proven that the NDLEA does not forget its own.

“The operation forms part of a broader wave of nationwide raids, with additional seizures and arrests reported in states including Edo, Lagos, Jigawa, Delta, Oyo, Enugu, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory.

The arrest underscores the agency’s renewed resolve to dismantle drug cartels, disrupt supply chains, and ensure accountability for attacks on law enforcement personnel involved in the fight against illicit drugs in Nigeria.

Jimoh is currently in custody and expected to face charges related to drug trafficking and the 2014 murders.