NDLEA Arrests South African Woman, Seizes ₦10.3bn Cannabis Haul at Lagos Port

By Zainab Uzomah| Abuja

A South African woman has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria while travelling with her three-year-old son.

The 38-year-old suspect, identified as Will Jessica Ann, was arrested on 6 July during the arrival clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha. NDLEA officers said they discovered 14 large blocks of heroin concealed in two suitcases linked to her.

According to the agency, the suspect initially denied travelling with any checked baggage but later admitted ownership after officers matched the luggage tags to those attached to her passport. Investigators said she had travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja and was using her young son as a cover to avoid thorough security checks.

The NDLEA said intelligence gathered during the investigation indicates that the suspect is allegedly part of a transnational drug trafficking network operating between Cambodia and South Africa alongside a partner identified as Jan Coenraad De Jager.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, arrested a 48-year-old commercial motorcycle rider, Onyechere Daniel Chinadu, after he arrived from Madagascar via Addis Ababa on 28 June.

Officers recovered 87 wraps of methamphetamine concealed in his backpack. The suspect was subsequently placed under observation after informing investigators he had ingested additional drug pellets. Over three days, he excreted 13 more wraps, bringing the total seizure to 100 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.715kg.

The suspect told investigators he had worked as a commercial motorcyclist in Lagos for 15 years before allegedly being recruited into drug trafficking by an associate based in Uganda.

Meanwhile, at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted 8,287 bags of “Canadian Loud”, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 4,143.5kg and valued at more than ₦10.3 billion.

The agency said the shipment, imported from Canada, was intercepted on 10 July following weeks of intelligence-led monitoring by its Maritime Intelligence Unit.

In another operation, NDLEA officers also foiled an attempt to export 2.5kg of skunk concealed inside a gas compressor destined for Cyprus through a Lagos courier company.

The agency said it also sustained its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign with awareness programmes in schools and communities across several states.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to maintain the momentum in disrupting drug trafficking networks while expanding public awareness efforts against drug abuse.