A search of his two travelling boxes led to the recovery of 25 parcels of a white crystalline substance weighing 25.05kg, which tested positive for methamphetamine.
The parcels were allegedly concealed inside packs of assorted breakfast cereals and cereal-based food products to evade security screening.
The 56-year-old suspect, who holds Nigerian and South African passports, reportedly told investigators that he had lived in South Africa for over 24 years.
He confessed to adopting the name Omokan Isaac Babatope after using forged documents to gain entry into South Africa and had continued using the identity.
He further disclosed that a South Africa-based man, identified as Obiora Okoye, contracted him to deliver the consignment in Nigeria for R20,000.
In another operation on the same day, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 28-year-old American citizen, Greene Da’monte Khiree, who arrived in Lagos aboard an Emirates flight from Thailand through Dubai.
The suspect allegedly abandoned his two checked-in bags and attempted to leave the airport with only his carry-on luggage but was arrested at the airport car park after being placed under surveillance.
A search of the bags, which bore his name tags, led to the recovery of 32 parcels of Loud weighing 33.95kg. A tracking device was also recovered from the luggage.
The suspect, a native of Savannah, Georgia, United States, reportedly claimed he had lived in Thailand since October 2025, where he plays professional basketball.
He said he travelled to Nigeria on holiday to build networks for his basketball career.
However, a forensic examination of his mobile phone allegedly revealed information linking him to the drug trafficking operation.
In Lagos, operatives on Tuesday, November 10, arrested a 33-year-old man, Taiwo Adebayo Aderoju, during an intelligence-led operation at Ebute Metta, where 119.71kg of cannabis was recovered.
Similarly, a joint operation in the Ajah area on Saturday, November 14, led to the recovery of 78.8kg of cannabis, 2.5 litres of skuchies, 6.8 litres of codeine syrup, 23g of Rohypnol, 478g of tramadol, 10.6kg of nitrous oxide and 714g of pregabalin from an abandoned Toyota Sienna.
The suspect reportedly fled after sighting the operatives.
In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives on Monday, November 9, raided a facility in Sabon Garin Kangin, where they uncovered a factory allegedly used for the local manufacture of firearms.
A 45-year-old man, Sagiru Musa, was arrested during the operation.
Items recovered included 17 locally made Dane guns, two pistols, 25 Dane gun pipes and other materials allegedly used in manufacturing firearms.
In a separate operation, officers on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Jere intercepted a 31-year-old woman, Tabara Dauda, on Friday, November 13, with 196 rounds of AK-47 ammunition and N675,000 cash.
Another suspect, 30-year-old Samson Chibuike Andebe, was arrested at Grace Land, Sabon Gari Local Government Area, on Wednesday, November 11, with 3,840 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 2.5kg.
NDLEA operatives also recovered 499.3kg of cannabis from two suspects, Celestine Chime, 34, and Chibueze Christ, 36, following a raid on their hideout in the Gonin-Gora area on Saturday, November 14.
In Ondo State, two suspects, Victor William, 42, and Akeem Azeez, 27, were arrested at Olabi village bush on Tuesday, November 10, after allegedly bringing out bags of cannabis for sale.
The suspects subsequently led the operatives to their storage facility, where 50 bags of cannabis weighing 560kg were recovered.
Another operation at a cannabis farm in Ipele forest on Friday, November 13, led to the arrest of three suspects identified as Godwin Benson, 30, Muhammed Awwal, 34, and James Timothy, 18. A total of 122kg of cannabis was recovered.
In Delta State, operatives arrested a 43-year-old woman, Esther Igba, at Alihame, Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area, on Thursday, November 12, with 255.67kg of cannabis and 1.5kg of cannabis seeds.
Earlier, on Tuesday, November 10, a 25-year-old suspected drug distributor, Aaron Thomas, also known as Ibori, was arrested at Oguato, Ughelli South Local Government Area, after allegedly being trailed for over six months.
The suspect was reportedly arrested with 360g of cannabis, 12.7 litres of codeine syrup, 500g of tramadol 100mg, 90g of tramadol 200mg, 215g of swinol and 135g of Molly.
In Osun State, two suspects, Eze Chidiebere, 23, and Nwaoge Ugochukwu, 24, were arrested with 86kg of cannabis during an operation to destroy illicit drug farms at Owena Forest Reserve.
In another operation in the forest reserve, operatives arrested 40-year-old Ugwu Chukwuemeka with 28kg of dried cannabis and 21kg of fresh cannabis leaves.
His 0.855-hectare cannabis farm, containing an estimated 2,137.5kg of the plant, was also destroyed.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, November 10, raided Jamila Street, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, following weeks of surveillance.
A 39-year-old woman, Blessing Chukwudi, was arrested during the operation, while 22 compressed parcels of Loud weighing 14kg, 65g of Colorado and 73g of methamphetamine were recovered.
The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities across the country.
The campaigns included enlightenment programmes in schools in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Plateau and Kano states, as well as an advocacy visit by the Ondo State Command to the Olu of Ilu Abo, Oba Olu Falae.
Commending officers and men of the affected commands, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised their vigilance and professionalism.
Marwa said the interception of methamphetamine concealed in breakfast cereal packs demonstrated that no concealment method could defeat the agency’s operatives.
He added that the discovery of the illegal firearms factory in Kaduna further highlighted the link between illicit drugs and violent crimes.
The NDLEA boss urged officers across the country to sustain efforts towards reducing both the supply of illicit drugs and the demand for them.
