A 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, over an alleged attempt to traffic cocaine to Portugal.
The NDLEA said Chukwulobelu was intercepted on September 25 while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa.
According to the agency, the suspect, who lives in Portugal, had cocaine concealed in his stomach when he was arrested. He was also reportedly wearing his wedding ring at the time.
The NDLEA subsequently placed him under excretion observation, during which he allegedly expelled 72 wraps of cocaine, described by the agency as a Class A illicit drug.
Suspect links alleged act to wedding expenses
The NDLEA said Chukwulobelu had returned to Nigeria to get married on September 13, 2026, before the alleged attempt to transport the drugs out of the country.
The agency quoted him as saying that he became involved in the alleged drug trafficking in an effort to offset expenses incurred during his wedding.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he previously operated a car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex area of Ojo, Lagos, before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.
NDLEA reports other drug seizures
The agency also announced other arrests and seizures in separate operations across the country.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered more than 2.5 million tablets of Tramakings and Royal Tapentadol from three monitored consignments imported from India and Bangladesh.
The agency said the pharmaceutical products weighed about 1,640.55kg and were intercepted during a joint examination of the consignments.
In Bauchi, NDLEA operatives also arrested two suspects with 300 compressed blocks of cannabis, weighing 262.5kg, while two cannabis farms were destroyed in Edo State.
The agency said investigations into the various cases were ongoing.
The arrest of Chukwulobelu remains an allegation at this stage, and he is entitled to due process under the law.
