A 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother was stopped at Lagos airport as anti-drug officers uncovered cocaine allegedly hidden inside fake plantain peels.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother after officers allegedly found 13kg of cocaine hidden inside fake plantain peels at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Mrs Mary Barek, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was arrested on Sunday, June 28, at the departure hall of Terminal 2 while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London, according to the agency.
The arrest has again exposed the changing methods used by drug traffickers to move banned substances through Nigerian airports and borders. In this case, officials said the cocaine was allegedly disguised as hands of plantain and packed with other food items, a method designed to escape routine checks.
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According to a statement by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, a search of Barek’s luggage led to the discovery of 31 large wraps of cocaine. The agency said the items weighed 13kg in total.
The case is likely to deepen concern about the use of ordinary food items and household goods to conceal drugs. For many travellers, food items such as plantain, dried fish, spices and local snacks are common in luggage, especially among Nigerians travelling between the country and the diaspora.
That familiarity may now be part of the challenge facing security officers, as traffickers appear to be relying on everyday items to reduce suspicion. The NDLEA said Barek admitted ownership of the recovered substance, although the matter remains subject to investigation and legal proceedings.
The Lagos airport arrest was not the only major operation announced by the agency. NDLEA also reported the arrest of Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a 45-year-old PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, over an alleged attempt to export cocaine hidden inside cartons of Orijin Bitters to Kuala Lumpur.
Onyeka was arrested in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State on June 29 after investigators allegedly traced him as the leader of a drug trafficking syndicate. Officials said 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.80kg had earlier been found hidden inside the walls of nine cartons of the herbal drink.
Four other suspects were earlier arrested in Lagos during the investigation, including a cargo agent, a driver, a trader at ASPANDA Market in the Trade Fair Complex, and another man accused of supplying the cartons allegedly used to hide the drugs.
The agency also announced separate seizures across several states. In Taraba, officers arrested Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, 30, along Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari Local Government Area after allegedly finding 43,980 Tramadol capsules hidden inside two modified vehicle fuel tanks.
In Kaduna, Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, were arrested during a raid in Gwantu Local Government Area, where the agency said 1.7kg of methamphetamine was recovered. In Ebonyi, Francis Ifara Eja, 65, was arrested with 231.7kg of skunk, while Alhaji Babani, 75, was arrested in Plateau State with 15kg of skunk.
In Gombe State, two suspects, Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36, were arrested with 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556kg at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area, according to the NDLEA.
The agency said its commands also continued public sensitisation under the War Against Drug Abuse campaign, with outreach programmes held in schools, workplaces, worship centres and communities. NDLEA chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, retd., commended the officers involved and urged commands across the country to sustain both enforcement and public education.
The latest arrests show the pressure on Nigerian authorities to keep pace with trafficking networks that continue to adapt. For airports, cargo handlers and border officers, the lesson is clear: even familiar goods can now carry serious security risks.