NDLEA Arrests Balogun Market Trader Over Cocaine Concealed in Food Cartons Bound for UK

NDLEA Arrests Balogun Market Trader Over Cocaine Concealed in Food Cartons Bound for UK

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 55-year-old businessman for attempting to smuggle cocaine to the United Kingdom hidden inside cartons of foodstuffs.

The suspect, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, who deals in clothing at the popular Balogun Market on Lagos Island, was taken into custody on Thursday, July 23, following the interception of his consignment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport export shed the previous day .

NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the agency intercepted 3.30 kilogrammes of cocaine cleverly concealed within the walls of cartons used to package food items destined for the United Kingdom.

The investigation began with the arrest of three cargo agents who handled the shipment: Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed, and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim. Their questioning led operatives to Kenneth Okakpu, who had delivered the consignment to the agents for shipment. Further intelligence gathered from Okakpu eventually pointed to Chinedu as the alleged mastermind behind the operation.

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According to the NDLEA, Chinedu was apprehended while preparing to send another batch of cocaine to the UK, confirming his role in the trafficking syndicate. The agency continues to investigate the network, with further arrests expected.

The arrest comes amid ongoing discussions about drug trafficking patterns and the involvement of individuals from various backgrounds in these criminal activities. Similar cases have emerged in recent months, including the extradition of a murder and drug trafficking suspect, Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi, to the UK in April. In that case, the Nigeria Police Force pushed back against attempts to frame the issue along ethnic lines, stating that “crime has no tribe, justice has no ethnicity” .

The NDLEA has been intensifying efforts to dismantle drug supply chains across Nigeria. Recent agency data shows that between January and May 2026 alone, operatives arrested 9,769 suspects, secured 1,778 convictions, and dismantled 144 organised criminal groups . The agency also reported seizing illicit drugs valued at over N10 billion in recent port operation