Newlywed Caught Trafficking 72 Cocaine Wraps at Enugu Airport, Blames Wedding Debt

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a 25-year-old businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu. Chukwulobelu, a recent groom, was intercepted while attempting to smuggle 72 wraps of cocaine, which he had ingested, to Portugal, his country of residence.

The interception occurred on Thursday, September 25, at the departure lounge of the Enugu airport. NDLEA officers noticed Chukwulobelu, who was still wearing his wedding ring, as he prepared to board an Ethiopian Airline flight bound for Portugal, with a layover in Addis Ababa. Following his apprehension, he was placed under medical observation, during which he subsequently expelled all 72 wraps of the Class A illicit substance from his system.

During questioning, the suspect disclosed that he formerly operated a car decoration business within the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo area of Lagos before relocating to Portugal in May 2023. He explained that he had recently returned to Nigeria to get married, with his wedding reportedly taking place on September 13, 2026. Chukwulobelu confessed that he resorted to this criminal act of drug trafficking as a means to settle the financial obligations incurred from his recent nuptials.