National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives have apprehended a China-based Nigerian businessman and two Angolan nationals after intercepting a combined 236 wraps of cocaine at major international airports in Nigeria.
The suspects Ibeanu Vincent Chukwudulue (34), a Nigerian businessman based in China, and Angolans Mbandu Martins Makiadi (50) and Ngoma Wilson Fernando (52) were detained at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on 4 February 2026.
Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA officials deboarded Mr. Ibeanu from a Qatar Airways flight bound for China via Abuja and Doha. A body scan revealed he had ingested drugs, leading to the excretion of 52 cocaine pellets weighing about 736 g.
At Kano airport, the two Angolan nationals were stopped before departing for Istanbul, Turkey, with a transit in Addis Ababa. Medical observation showed Makiadi excreted 76 wraps weighing 920 g, while Fernando expelled 108 wraps weighing 1.33 kg.
The suspects reportedly told authorities they were recruited by a Luanda-based auto parts dealer who promised them $3,000 each upon delivery of the drugs in Turkey.
The NDLEA operation is part of an intensified crackdown on transnational drug smuggling through Nigeria’s airports, with authorities reaffirming their commitment to tightening surveillance and interdiction measures.
