Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, have arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Ms. Faridah Nansubuga, for attempting to smuggle 87 wraps of cocaine hidden in her private part.
According to the the spokes person of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi on Sunday in statement, Nansubuga arrived in Nigeria on October 29, 2026, alongside members of her church for a spiritual renewal and prayer session at The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos.
While the rest of her delegation flew back to Uganda after the program, Nansubuga stayed behind to collect an illicit drug consignment on behalf of a friend named Joy, who resides in Uganda. Joy reportedly directed her to a contact in Nigeria who arranged a vehicle to take her to a hotel on her departure day, where a man handed her the drugs and instructed her to hide them beneath her clothing to evade airport security.
On November 3, 2026, while attempting to board a flight back to Uganda at Terminal 2, NDLEA operatives intercepted her during a joint passenger screening.
A secondary search in a private room led to the recovery of 87 wraps of cocaine with a gross weight of 1.150 kilograms strapped around her pelvic region.
Reacting to the arrest, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), noted that the case serves as a grim reminder that drug cartels will stop at nothing including exploiting faith and religious travel to recruit couriers.
