Ugandan Woman Arrested With 87 Cocaine Wraps After SCOAN Prayer Visit To Nigeria

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

Nansubuga was intercepted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while preparing to board a flight to her home country.

The NDLEA said 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.150 kilogrammes were recovered from the suspect after operatives discovered that the substances had been strapped around her pelvic region and concealed beneath two layers of underwear.

In a statement issued on Sunday, November 8, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the arrest followed a joint passenger-screening exercise involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel at Terminal 2 of the airport.

According to the agency, an initial body search raised suspicion about a substance concealed around her pelvic region, prompting officers to transfer her to a designated private search room for a secondary examination, during which the cocaine was recovered.

Babafemi disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that Nansubuga arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), located in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos.

The agency said the other members of her delegation returned to Uganda after the religious programme, while Nansubuga remained in Nigeria to allegedly collect the cocaine consignment on behalf of a friend identified as Joy, who resides in Uganda.

During her preliminary interview with investigators, the suspect reportedly claimed that Joy connected her with a contact in Nigeria, who arranged transportation to a hotel on the morning of her scheduled departure.

She allegedly told investigators that an unidentified man handed her the cocaine at the hotel and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing to evade security checks at the airport.

Although no definite payment had reportedly been agreed upon, Nansubuga said she expected to receive at least $1,000 after successfully delivering the consignment in Uganda, according to the NDLEA.

Reacting to the arrest, the agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the incident demonstrated how drug trafficking networks could exploit religious activities and international travel to recruit couriers.

Marwa described the case as a reminder that criminal networks were willing to exploit people’s faith and religious journeys to facilitate illicit drug trafficking.

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

The arrest forms part of a series of drug interceptions and enforcement operations recently recorded by the agency across Nigeria.