A 34-year-old Ugandan national, Farida Nansubuga, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle 1.15 kilogrammes of cocaine out of Nigeria.

Nansubuga was intercepted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at Terminal 2 during a joint screening exercise conducted by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives and aviation security personnel as she prepared to board a flight back to Uganda. Authorities recovered 87 wraps of cocaine strapped beneath two layers of underwear in her pelvic region.

According to the NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Nansubuga initially entered Nigeria on October 29 alongside members of her church to attend a prayer session at The Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos State. While the rest of her group returned to Uganda after the spiritual gathering, she remained behind.

Investigations revealed that on the morning of her departure, a contact arranged transport to take her to a hotel, where an unidentified man handed her the illicit drugs with instructions to conceal them beneath her clothing to bypass airport security. She allegedly admitted that she stayed behind to collect the consignment on behalf of a friend named Joy residing in Uganda, anticipating a payout of at least $1,000 upon successful delivery.

NDLEA Chairman Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) condemned the incident, highlighting that drug cartels routinely exploit religious travel and faith-based activities to recruit couriers, while commending the vigilance of the intercepting officers.

In separate operations during the same week, the NDLEA recorded major seizures at the Lagos airport:

• Tapentadol Seizure: Officers uncovered 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg—weighing 526 kilogrammes and carrying an estimated street value of N900m—which arrived from India aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight falsely declared as Paracetamol tablets.

• Loud Seizure: Thirty-two parcels of Loud weighing 16.15 kilogrammes were found concealed inside two wooden sofas shipped as cargo from Houston, United States.

• UK-Bound Shipments: Operatives intercepted 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg hidden inside female headwear, alongside 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes packed in two cartons destined for the United Kingdom.