The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Farida Nansubuga, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.15 kilogrammes of cocaine from Nigeria to Uganda.

Nansubuga was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while preparing to board a flight to Uganda.

The agency said 87 wraps of cocaine were recovered from her pelvic region, where they had been concealed beneath two layers of underwear.

The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, explaining that the suspect arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos.

According to the agency, other members of her delegation returned to Uganda after the prayer session, but Nansubuga allegedly remained behind to collect the drug consignment on behalf of a friend identified as Joy, who resides in Uganda.

Babafemi said the suspect was intercepted during a joint passenger screening exercise involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel at Terminal Two of the airport.

Preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that a contact in Nigeria arranged transportation for her to a hotel on the morning of her departure, where an unidentified man handed over the cocaine.

The suspect allegedly told investigators that she was instructed to conceal the drugs beneath her clothing to evade security checks. She reportedly expected to receive at least 1,000 dollars after successfully delivering the consignment in Uganda.

Reacting to the arrest, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the incident as evidence of how drug trafficking networks exploit religious activities and international travel to recruit couriers.

Marwa commended the officers involved in the operation and urged personnel across the agency’s commands to sustain efforts against drug trafficking and substance abuse.