A notorious drug trafficker, Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil, previously convicted for trafficking 30.10 kilograms of methamphetamine, has been rearrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The latest arrest followed the seizure of 75 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.50 kilograms at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The illicit drugs were discovered during routine cargo inspection operations.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said three cargo handlers – Jubrin Firdausi Hassana, Kuku Daniel Oluwasegun and Igwe Chioma Jane – were initially arrested on Saturday, December 20, 2025, while attempting to export cocaine concealed in factory-sealed sachets of cold-water starch to the United Kingdom.
According to him, further investigations traced the operation to Basil, aged 37, who was subsequently arrested in a follow-up operation on Sunday, December 21, at a popular relaxation centre in Ikeja, where he was reportedly on a date with his girlfriend.
“The agency’s criminal database revealed that Nwobodo had earlier been arrested in May 2023 in connection with the seizure of 30.10kg of methamphetamine concealed in powdered custard containers as part of a consolidated cargo heading to London,” Babafemi said.
He added that Basil was arraigned before the Federal High Court in charge number FHC/L/337C/2023, convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦7 million fine and one month of community service, effective December 4, 2023.
“He paid the fine and soon after returned to the same crime,” Babafemi stated.
Beyond the Lagos airport operation, the NDLEA recorded multiple seizures and arrests across the country in what the agency described as sustained nationwide enforcement actions.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives on Monday, December 22, set ablaze cannabis farms and wooden warehouses in Ara forest, Ara-Ekiti, where 638 kilograms of skunk – a potent strain of cannabis – were recovered.
NDLEA operatives also arrested Ajoke Dauda with 45.5kg of skunk on Christmas Day, December 25, at Agbara along the Badagry Expressway, in Lagos, while another suspect, Oluwasegun Felix, was apprehended with 18.5kg of the same substance at Itoga, Badagry, on December 24.
Meanwhile, a 47-year-old businessman, Ignatius Egbochie, also known as “Brown,” who had been declared wanted in connection with the seizure of 56 parcels of “Loud” cannabis weighing 26kg at the Tin Can Seaport in Lagos, was arrested in Apapa following a follow-up operation on December 19.
Babafemi said NDLEA commands nationwide also intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities during the period under review.
Commending officers involved in the various operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their commitment and urged personnel nationwide to remain vigilant throughout the festive season and beyond, while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.
