The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an American professional basketball player who allegedly abandoned two travel bags containing 33.95 kilogrammes of cannabis at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Key Highlights
- NDLEA arrests a 28-year-old American basketball player at Lagos airport over 33.95kg of cannabis.
- He arrived from Thailand on an Emirates flight via Dubai and allegedly abandoned two checked-in bags.
- Operatives found 32 parcels of Loud and a tracking device in the bags.
- A 56-year-old Nigerian-South African was separately arrested with 25.05kg of methamphetamine hidden in cereal packs.
- The second suspect allegedly confessed he was promised R20,000 to deliver the drugs.
The 28-year-old American citizen was apprehended on Wednesday after arriving in Nigeria from Thailand aboard an Emirates flight via Dubai.
The arrest was disclosed by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday, November 15, 2026.
According to the agency, the suspect attracted the attention of operatives after allegedly abandoning his two checked-in bags and attempting to leave the airport with only his carry-on luggage.
NDLEA operatives, who had placed him under discreet surveillance following credible intelligence, reportedly apprehended him at the airport car park.
A search of the abandoned bags, which reportedly carried his name tags, led to the discovery of 32 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 33.95kg. The agency also recovered a tracking device from the bags.
Suspect claims he came to Nigeria on holiday
Babafemi said the suspect, who hails from Savannah, Georgia, United States, claimed he had been living in Thailand since October 2025, where he played professional basketball.
He reportedly told investigators that he travelled to Nigeria for a holiday and to establish connections that could advance his basketball career.
However, a forensic examination of his mobile phone allegedly revealed information indicating his knowledge of and involvement in the drug trafficking operation.
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25.05kg of methamphetamine hidden in cereal packs
In a related operation at the same airport, NDLEA operatives arrested a 56-year-old Nigerian-South African man over a 25.05kg consignment of methamphetamine concealed in imported breakfast cereal packs.
The suspect was arrested at the arrival hall of Terminal II after returning from South Africa.
A search of his two travelling boxes reportedly uncovered 25 parcels of a white crystalline substance, which tested positive for methamphetamine.
The NDLEA said the suspect had lived in South Africa for more than 24 years and used a false Nigerian identity after allegedly entering the country with forged documents.
He reportedly confessed that a South Africa-based individual contracted him to deliver the drugs in Nigeria for R20,000.
The agency said both arrests formed part of its ongoing efforts to disrupt international drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit substances from entering the country.
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