The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced it has taken into custody a businessman identified as Ajah Johnson Uchenna, his wife Rosemary Uchenna, and their two daughters, Stella Uchenna and Ngozi Uchenna, as well as their family friend, Okoro Elijah, for allegedly running a major illicit drug distribution network in Lagos.
In a statement on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the family was arrested following a series of operations by security agencies.
According to the statement made available to SaharaReporters, the couple was first apprehended on June 13 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ojo, Lagos, and transferred to the NDLEA along with 277.5kg of skunk.
Babafemi noted that further investigation revealed the family business was still operational, leading to a raid on their home and a packing store on July 1, where an additional 231 kg of skunk was recovered.
The statement said, “A businessman Ajah Johnson Uchenna and his wife Rosemary Uchenna along with their two daughters: Stella Uchenna and Ngozi Uchenna as well as their family friend Okoro Elijah have been taken into custody after investigation revealed they run a major illicit drug distribution network in Lagos.
“The couple was first arrested on Friday 13th June by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Ojo area of the state and transferred to NDLEA along with 277.5kg skunk.
“While they were still being investigated in custody, credible intelligence revealed that the family business was going on in his house. This led to a raid of their home and a packing store where 231kg of same substance was recovered on Tuesday 1st July.” “Three persons arrested during the raid include their two daughters: Ngozi Uchenna and Blessing Uchenna as well as their family friend Okoro Elijah, who were running the family business in the absence of the couple,” it added.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA spokesman noted that the operatives of the agency also intercepted cocaine consignments concealed in lipsticks and property title documents going to the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, respectively.
The illicit drug consignments, according to the statement, were recovered from cargo being prepared for shipment at a courier company in Lagos on Thursday, July 3, 2025, by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) attached to the logistics firm.
The agency said, “In another interdiction operation at the Lagos airport, a total of 52 pieces of the travellers cheques concealed in children’s books, worth 17,700,000 Australian dollars, going to Malaysia through Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight were on Friday 4th July intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the airport while a freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed has been arrested.
“The travellers’ cheques suspected to be counterfeit and the suspect will be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation.”
