34-year-old suspect allegedly attempted to smuggle 1.15kg of cocaine to Uganda after attending a religious programme in Lagos; agency says she expected at least $1,000 for successful delivery.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, identified as Farida Nansubuga, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.15 kilogrammes of cocaine to Uganda after concealing 87 wraps of the illicit substance around her pelvic region.
The suspect was apprehended on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at Terminal 2 of the airport while preparing to board a flight to Uganda, following a joint passenger-screening operation involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel.
According to the agency, the cocaine was strapped around her pelvic region and secured beneath two layers of underwear in an attempt to evade airport security screening.
The arrest was disclosed on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who said the initial body search raised suspicions of a concealed substance, prompting officers to transfer the woman to a designated private search room for further examination.
A subsequent search led to the recovery of 87 wraps of cocaine with a combined weight of 1.150 kilogrammes.
Preliminary investigations by the agency revealed that Nansubuga arrived in Nigeria on October 29, 2026, alongside members of her church for a spiritual renewal and prayer programme at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State.
However, while other members of her delegation reportedly returned to Uganda after the religious programme, the suspect allegedly remained in Nigeria to collect the cocaine consignment for a friend identified simply as Joy, who resides in Uganda.
The agency said the suspect told investigators that Joy connected her with an associate in Nigeria, who arranged transportation to a hotel on the morning of her scheduled departure.
At the hotel, an unidentified man allegedly handed over the cocaine and instructed her to conceal the wraps beneath her clothing to avoid detection during airport security checks.
Although no definite payment arrangement had reportedly been concluded, Nansubuga allegedly told investigators that she expected to receive at least $1,000 upon successfully delivering the consignment in Uganda.
The NDLEA said the arrest demonstrated how international drug trafficking networks continued to exploit individuals and cross-border movements to transport illicit substances, using unconventional concealment methods to circumvent security measures.
The incident also highlights the increasing importance of intelligence-led passenger screening and collaboration between anti-narcotics operatives and aviation security personnel in identifying suspected drug couriers at Nigeria’s international airports.
NDLEA intercepts N900m opioid shipment at same airport
In a related operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and estimated to be worth approximately N900 million.
The consignment, which arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight, was allegedly falsely declared as Paracetamol 500mg in an attempt to conceal the actual contents.
According to the agency, the shipment arrived at the airport’s import shed on November 3, comprising 11 cartons packed inside two wooden structures.
Investigators discovered that the opioid tablets were concealed in 10 of the cartons, while the remaining carton contained paracetamol tablets allegedly used as cover for the illicit shipment.
The interception underscores concerns over the use of international cargo channels to move controlled pharmaceutical substances into Nigeria under misleading product descriptions.
The NDLEA has continued to intensify surveillance and enforcement operations across airports, seaports, courier facilities and other entry points as part of its efforts to disrupt international drug trafficking networks.
The agency’s latest operations at the Lagos airport reinforce the importance of stronger cargo inspection, passenger profiling and intelligence-sharing among security agencies to prevent Nigeria’s transport infrastructure from being exploited by transnational drug trafficking syndicates.
