Man who lost two fingers in factory accident uses compensation to buy cocaine, caught at Lagos airport

• A 38-year-old Nigerian businessman was arrested at Lagos airport with 4.80kg of cocaine allegedly bound for Italy.

• NDLEA says he paid ₦16 million for part of the consignment using compensation from a workplace accident in Italy.

• The agency also reported major drug seizures and arrests in several states during the week.

A Nigerian businessman has been arrested while attempting to smuggle cocaine to Italy, after using compensation money he received for losing two fingertips in a workplace accident to fund the purchase.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said operatives intercepted 38-year-old Philip Tunde on Sunday, 27 September, at the joint screening point in Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, as he prepared to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan.

A search of his luggage uncovered 16 parcels of a white powdery substance hidden in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, along with 195 more wraps concealed in the railings of four travel bags. The substance tested positive for cocaine, with a combined weight of 4.80 kilograms.

During questioning, Tunde reportedly told operatives he had paid 16 million naira in cash for the drugs hidden in the shoes, while the consignment in the bags was intended for delivery to a partner already in Italy. He said the money came from compensation he received after losing the tips of two fingers in an accident at a plastic manufacturing company where he previously worked in Italy.

The arrest was part of a broader week of operations announced by the NDLEA, which also recorded several other major seizures across the country. At the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne seaports, operatives intercepted container shipments of a potent cannabis strain known as "Loud" and codeine-based cough syrup, together valued at over 5 billion naira, following months of surveillance on the shipments' movement from their countries of origin.

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In Osun State, more than 20,000 kilograms of cannabis were destroyed after a farm raid in Ife South, while separate arrests were made in Plateau, Lagos, Kogi and Edo states involving tramadol, methamphetamine, and other cannabis-based substances. A long-wanted fugitive, Idris Mohammed Kurra, was also rearrested in Jos after evading capture for six years following a 2020 bail jump connected to a previous drug case.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers involved across the various commands and urged continued intelligence-led operations against drug trafficking networks nationwide.