By By Elizabeth Ugbo
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 38-year-old South African woman, Jessica Ann Will, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, after discovering 5.75 kilograms of heroin hidden inside her luggage. The arrest occurred on Monday, July 6, 2026, during the clearance of passengers arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha. According to the agency, the suspect allegedly used her three-year-old son as a cover to avoid suspicion while attempting to smuggle the illicit drugs into Nigeria.
South African Suspect Tried to Evade Airport Screening
NDLEA operatives said the suspect initially denied travelling with any checked luggage. However, officers matched the baggage tags attached to her passport with two abandoned suitcases.
After further questioning, she admitted ownership of the bags. She claimed she forgot she had checked them in before boarding her flight.
A detailed search revealed 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75 kilograms concealed inside the luggage.
Investigators disclosed that the suspect travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.
Intelligence reports further linked her to a transnational drug trafficking network operating between Cambodia and South Africa.
According to NDLEA, she allegedly works alongside her husband and partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, who is based in Cambodia.
Okada Rider Excretes 100 Wraps of Methamphetamine
In another operation, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, arrested 48-year-old Onyechere Daniel Chinadu, an commercial motorcycle rider popularly known as an Okada rider.
He arrived from Madagascar via Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on June 28, 2026.
Officers recovered 87 wraps of methamphetamine hidden inside clothes packed in his backpack.
During interrogation, Chinadu said he had worked as an Okada rider in the Oke-Afo area of Lagos for 15 years.
He claimed a friend based in Uganda recruited him into drug trafficking.
The suspect admitted swallowing additional drug pellets before leaving Uganda for Madagascar.
However, immigration officials denied him entry into Madagascar.
His sponsor allegedly redirected him to Lagos, where NDLEA officers arrested him.
Since he could not state the number of pellets he swallowed, officers placed him under observation.
Over three days, he excreted 13 additional wraps, bringing the total recovery to 100 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.715 kilograms.
NDLEA Seizes N10.3 Billion Worth of Canadian Loud at Apapa Port
Meanwhile, NDLEA recorded another major breakthrough at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.
A joint inspection involving NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies uncovered 8,287 bags of Canadian Loud weighing 4,143.5 kilograms.
The illicit consignment has an estimated street value exceeding N10.3 billion.
The container originated from Montreal, Canada.
NDLEA’s Maritime Intelligence Unit tracked and monitored the shipment for several weeks before it arrived in Nigeria.
Attempt to Smuggle Cannabis to Cyprus Foiled
Similarly, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted another drug shipment.
Officers discovered 2.5 kilograms of skunk, a potent cannabis strain, concealed inside a gas compressor.
The shipment was destined for Cyprus through a courier company in Lagos.
NDLEA Intensifies War Against Drug Abuse Campaign
Beyond enforcement, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign across Nigeria.
Officers conducted drug awareness lectures at:
- Nnodo Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State
- Government Girls Secondary School, Sabon Gida, Sharada, Kano State
- Royal Jesuit College, Agbado Ekiti
- Community Secondary School, Idofa, Ogun State
In addition, the leadership of NDLEA Zone 14 Command paid a WADA advocacy visit to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Marwa Commends Officers
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised officers from DOGI, MMIA, NAIA, Maritime Intelligence Unit and Apapa Command for the successful operations.
He urged personnel nationwide to sustain the agency’s drug supply reduction efforts while expanding public awareness campaigns against drug abuse.
