According to the agency, the suspects were apprehended while attempting to smuggle the illicit drugs to the Holy Land.
In a statement, NDLEA described the incident as a desecration, stating, “At a time when people are devoted to spiritual reflection and prayers, some individuals were busy hiding cocaine in prayer beads and locally made shoes, intending to smuggle them into the Holy Land. However, they were intercepted by NDLEA officers.”
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, released the statement on Sunday, revealing another breakthrough in NDLEA’s anti-narcotics operations.
In a separate case, NDLEA operatives successfully arrested Levi Chidiebele Ubodoeze, who had been on the run for three weeks following an attempt to smuggle two kilograms of cocaine hidden in vehicle propellers to Angola.
The illicit consignment was seized at a logistics company in Aspanda, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, on February 21, 2025. The agency subsequently alerted Angolan authorities, leading to the arrest of the intended recipient and exposing Ubodoeze’s role in the operation.
On March 6, NDLEA operatives tracked Ubodoeze to his residence in the Ago Palace Way area of Isolo, Lagos. As he attempted to escape in a KIA SUV, officers moved in and apprehended him. A search of his vehicle uncovered 75.50 kilograms of phenacetin, a cocaine-cutting agent, disguised as semolina. A digital weighing scale used for drug processing was also recovered from his residence.
During interrogation, Ubodoeze admitted to his involvement in the cocaine trade while operating a motor spare parts business at Ladipo Market, Mushin, Lagos.
His arrest comes just a week after NDLEA officials foiled a similar attempt to export two kilograms of cocaine hidden in vehicle propellers bound for Angola.
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