Two Europe-Based Nigerians Excrete 200 Wraps of Cocaine at Abuja Airport
NDLEA operatives arrest two Nigerian businessmen after they allegedly swallowed 200 cocaine pellets weighing 3.46 kilogrammes in an attempt to smuggle them to Paris, France.
Two Nigerian businessmen based in Europe have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Godian Odife and Sam Blackborn, were intercepted on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, during the outward clearance of an Air France flight from Abuja to Paris. According to the agency, body scans revealed foreign objects in their stomachs, leading to their arrest and subsequent observation.
Investigations revealed that Odife, who reportedly lives in France and works in a factory, arrived in Nigeria on October 21 for a short holiday. He was preparing to return to France when security officials discovered the suspected drugs during a body scan. He reportedly admitted swallowing 110 pellets of cocaine, which he later excreted under medical observation. The wraps weighed approximately 1.901 kilogrammes. His co-traveller, Blackborn, was also arrested after his body scan returned a positive result. He allegedly swallowed 90 pellets, weighing 1.559 kilogrammes, bringing the total number of recovered cocaine wraps to 200, with a combined weight of 3.46 kilogrammes.
Beyond the Abuja airport arrests, the NDLEA reported several other drug-related operations across the country. In Lagos, operatives recovered 537 kilogrammes of cannabis from a Volkswagen bus along Kudirat Abiola Way, Ikeja, and another 439 kilogrammes from a separate vehicle along the Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway. In Oyo State, two suspects were arrested while allegedly loading 554 kilogrammes of cannabis into a truck. Other seizures and arrests were recorded in Kano, Ondo, Edo, Sokoto and Kaduna states, involving cannabis, tramadol, diazepam and other controlled substances.
Reacting to the arrests, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and warned that living abroad would not protect anyone involved in drug trafficking. He stated that security personnel at Nigeria’s entry and exit points remained vigilant and would continue working to prevent the movement of illicit substances. Marwa also urged officers to sustain the crackdown on drug cartels while strengthening public awareness campaigns through schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities. The agency reiterated its commitment to tackling drug trafficking and reducing substance abuse across Nigeria.
