The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 25.05 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in breakfast cereal packages shipped from South Africa to Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The agency also arrested a 56-year-old Nigerian passenger who allegedly lived in South Africa for more than two decades using another person’s identity.
The seizures were disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday, November 15, 2026, by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, detailing a series of drug trafficking and security operations across the country.
The agency identified the suspect as Omokan Isaac Babatope, whose real name is Chinedu Onwude. He was arrested on November 11 at the arrival hall of Terminal II after arriving from South Africa.
According to the NDLEA, a search of his two travelling boxes uncovered 25 parcels of a white crystalline substance concealed inside assorted breakfast cereal packages. Laboratory tests subsequently confirmed the substance as methamphetamine, with a total weight of 25.05 kilograms.
The agency said the suspect was carrying Nigerian and South African passports and had lived in South Africa for more than 24 years. During preliminary questioning, he allegedly admitted to adopting another identity after entering South Africa with forged documents.
He reportedly told investigators that an individual based in South Africa, identified as Obiora Okoye, contracted him to deliver the shipment in Nigeria for R20,000. The NDLEA said investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the shipment and identify other individuals connected to the operation.
In a separate operation at Lagos airport, the NDLEA arrested a 28-year-old American citizen, Greene Da’monte Khiree, over an alleged attempt to smuggle 33.95 kilograms of Loud, a potent cannabis strain, into Nigeria. The agency said the suspect arrived on November 11 aboard an Emirates flight from Thailand through Dubai.
He allegedly abandoned two checked-in bags before attempting to leave the airport with his carry-on luggage. A search of the abandoned bags reportedly uncovered 32 parcels of cannabis and a tracking device.
The suspect, who described himself as a professional basketball player living in Thailand, reportedly told investigators that he travelled to Nigeria to establish professional connections.
The NDLEA added that a forensic examination of his mobile phone indicated his knowledge of the alleged trafficking operation.
