The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 50-year-old widow and fashion designer, Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine concealed in a fake pregnancy belly.
Ezewuike, a mother of one and owner of Golden Star Creation, a fashion outfit located along Ago Palace Way in Okota, Lagos, was intercepted by NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 22, 2025, at a bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba. She was reportedly on her way to deliver 1.3 kilograms of cocaine to customers in Abuja.
According to NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who released a statement on Sunday, a follow-up search at Ezewuike’s residence in Ago Palace led to the recovery of 200 grams of a substance used for processing cocaine.
During interrogation, Ezewuike confessed that she took over the drug trade from her late husband, who died two years ago, despite having successfully run her fashion business for over two decades.
Dispatch Riders Nabbed in Abuja
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers in Abuja arrested two commercial dispatch riders, Garba Sule, 29, and Isaac Augustine, 35, for distributing drugs within the Federal Capital Territory. The duo was intercepted during a search operation in Jabi on Thursday, August 21.
Sule was found with 300 milligrams of pentazocine injection, while Augustine was caught with 8.64 grams of skunk already packaged for delivery.
Nationwide Crackdown on Drugs
The arrests form part of a wider operation across Nigeria that led to multiple seizures and arrests:
- Kwara State: 57.2kg of cannabis intercepted on the Ilorin–Jebba road; another suspect caught in Ilorin with 3.5kg.
- Kano State: Two suspects, Usman Sani (31) and Hamisu Ibrahim (27), arrested with 1.67kg of tramadol, codeine, and rohypnol.
- Kogi State: A drug syndicate supplying students in Lokoja was dismantled; 2,100 bottles of codeine syrup and 1,450 tramadol capsules seized, with three suspects in custody.
- Taraba State: A warehouse in Jalingo was raided, yielding 73.4kg of cannabis, 4,100 diazepam tablets, and 16 bottles of codeine.
- Edo State: Three suspects arrested in Irrua with 62kg of cannabis.
- Delta State: 84.3kg of cannabis and 12 bottles of codeine recovered in Ughelli.
- Adamawa State: 65.8kg of cannabis seized in Girei Local Government Area.
- Ondo State: 80kg of cannabis intercepted in Akure.
- Ekiti State: 35kg of cannabis seized from a farm in Oye Local Government Area.
NDLEA Chairman’s Reaction
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers involved in the nationwide operations. He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug cartels and arresting traffickers across the country.
Marwa also urged Nigerians to support the fight against illicit drugs by providing credible information that could help security agencies track offenders.
