NDLEA arrests newlywed accused of carrying cocaine to Portugal
Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it arrested a 25-year-old businessman at Enugu airport after allegedly finding cocaine concealed in his stomach. The agency said the suspect, Lovely Chukwulobelu, later expelled 72 wraps during observation and told investigators he had turned to trafficking to cover wedding expenses.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has arrested a 25-year-old businessman at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu for allegedly attempting to transport 72 wraps of cocaine to Portugal. The suspect, identified as Lovely Chukwulobelu, was intercepted on Thursday, September 25, at the airport’s departure hall, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi. Babafemi said Chukwulobelu was preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa.
The agency said the suspect had cocaine concealed in his stomach and was wearing a wedding ring when he was arrested. He was placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled 72 wraps of cocaine, the statement said. The NDLEA described the substance as a Class A illicit drug.
According to the agency, Chukwulobelu said he had previously operated in the car-decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos before relocating to Portugal in May 2023. He reportedly returned to Nigeria and married on September 13, 2026. The NDLEA said the suspect told investigators that he resorted to drug trafficking to offset expenses connected with the wedding.
The allegation has not been tested in court in the material provided. Babafemi also reported several other seizures and arrests across Nigeria. At Lagos airport, officials recovered 2,550,000 pills of Tramakings and Royal Tapentadol, weighing 1,640.55kg, from three consignments imported through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines.
The agency said officers also seized cannabis, pharmaceutical drugs and nitrous oxide in operations in Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Oyo and at the Seme border. NDLEA chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa commended personnel involved and urged them to continue the agency’s drug-control operations.
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