Toyyibat Qasim
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 56-year-old Nigerian man allegedly living in South Africa with a stolen identity after intercepting 25.05 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in imported breakfast cereal packs at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The suspect, identified as Omokan Isaac Babatope, whose real name was given as Chinedu Onwude, was arrested on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the arrival hall of Terminal II of the Lagos airport following his return from South Africa.
The arrest came after NDLEA operatives subjected his two travelling boxes to a thorough search, leading to the discovery of 25 parcels of a white crystalline substance weighing 25.05 kilogrammes.
The agency said laboratory tests subsequently confirmed the substance to be methamphetamine, a hard drug.
The illicit consignment was reportedly concealed inside packs of assorted breakfast cereals and other cereal-based food products in an apparent attempt to beat airport security checks and smuggle the drugs into the country undetected.
According to the agency, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had been residing in South Africa for more than 24 years and possessed both Nigerian and South African passports.
During interrogation, Onwude allegedly confessed that he assumed the identity of Omokan Isaac Babatope after using forged documents to gain entry into South Africa and had continued to operate under the false identity for more than two decades.
He reportedly told investigators that a South Africa-based man identified as Obiora Okoye contracted him to transport the drug consignment to Nigeria.
The suspect allegedly disclosed that he was promised R20,000 (South African rand) for delivering the consignment.
The NDLEA has yet to disclose further details about the alleged contractor or whether other suspects have been arrested in connection with the drug trafficking operation.
The latest seizure underscores the tactics employed by international drug trafficking networks to exploit legitimate travel and commercial channels to move illicit substances across borders.
The suspect is expected to face prosecution as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the attempted importation of the 25.05kg methamphetamine consignment.
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