The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has achieved a huge breakthrough in its continuing campaign against drug trafficking by catching cocaine disguised within lipsticks and eliminating a big family-run criminal gang in Lagos. This operation led to the arrest of a prominent drug kingpin and his accomplices, conveying a powerful message to criminal networks operating in Nigeria and abroad.
In two distinct but related raids at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, NDLEA officers uncovered substantial consignments of cocaine cleverly hidden within cosmetic products, notably female lipsticks. The first seizure comprised 420 grams of cocaine factory-fitted inside 84 pieces of lipsticks headed for the United Kingdom. The contraband was located at a courier firm in Lagos, resulting in the arrest of a man called Ezenwegbu Chike related to this package.
Barely a week later, another shipment of roughly 400 kilos of cocaine combined with phenacetin, a cutting agent, was recovered from lipsticks amid other cargo products such as hair attachments and face powder destined for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. This second operation resulted in the arrest of a businessman, Ezeikwelume Prince Afam, headquartered at the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo region of Lagos.
In a similar raid, NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit nabbed a highly sought drug kingpin, Okechukwu Izugha, commonly known as Okey Omeogo, who had avoided arrest for almost a year. Izugha was traced down and arrested on July 9, 2025, at his wife’s business in Ijesha Market, Lagos.
Izugha initially came to the notice of NDLEA in August 2024 when a big recovery of nine kilos of cocaine was seized from a suspect at a car park in Orile, Lagos. That seizure was tracked back to Izugha, identifying him as the owner of the narcotics. Further investigations uncovered the participation of his family, resulting in the arrest of his wife, Maureen Izugha, in January 2025 when she was caught with 500 grams of cocaine at her drinks business. She was later convicted and sentenced to two years in jail.
The arrest of Okey Omeogo marks the completion of a year-long search and is seen as a huge blow to a drug trafficking network that has operated widely inside Lagos and across key trade routes in Nigeria.
Beyond the lipstick consignments, NDLEA officers also discovered boxes of Loud, a strong type of cannabis, disguised cleverly in microwave ovens imported from Thailand via Ethiopian Airlines. Eleven kilos of cannabis packed within 23 boxes were seized following a comprehensive investigation of the shipment. Ezenwegbu Chike, previously tied to the lipstick cocaine case, was also detained in connection with these seizures.
The NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, noted that these operations represent the agency’s heightened efforts to destroy drug trafficking networks preying on Nigeria and the worldwide community. By targeting new concealment strategies like as integrating cocaine into ordinary things like lipsticks and microwaves, NDLEA has proved its expanded intelligence and operational capabilities.
The agency highlighted that the arrests and seizures were not isolated instances but part of a bigger attempt to destroy sophisticated drug syndicates combining family-run organizations and foreign-based smuggling gangs. The presence of phenacetin with cocaine in the lipstick shipments testifies to the combining of narcotics with cutting agents to prevent detection and increase earnings.
These latest seizures demonstrate the rising complexity of drug smuggling strategies and stress the significance of watchful customs and law enforcement officials at key ports of entry like Lagos. The use of cosmetics and domestic equipment as drug-concealing strategies suggests a serious trend demanding ongoing innovation from law enforcement.
The NDLEA’s effective demolition of this criminal cartel breaks a critical supply chain in the cocaine trafficking from Nigeria to Europe and other regions of Africa. The arrests of Okey Omeogo, his wife, and others illustrate the determination to pursue not just foot soldiers but kingpins who organize these criminal organizations.
The NDLEA’s recent operations underline Nigeria’s willingness to pursue drug trafficking forcefully. The discovery of cocaine disguised in lipsticks and the destruction of a family-operated drug network in Lagos constitute important wins in this continuing campaign against illegal drugs, delivering a strong message to traffickers that novel smuggling tactics will not go undiscovered or unpunished.
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