UK-Based Nigerian Grandmother Arrested at Lagos Airport with 13kg of Cocaine Hidden in Fake Plantain
By: Kenneth Appiah Bani A 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in fake plantain peels through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. The suspect, identified as Mrs. Mary Yetunde Barek, a UK-based caregiver, was apprehended at the departure hall of Terminal 2 on Sunday, June 28, 2026, while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for London. According to the NDLEA, officers carried out a detailed inspection of her luggage during routine screening and discovered 31 large packages of cocaine ingeniously disguised as hands of plantain. The illicit substance had been carefully hidden among other food items in an apparent attempt to evade detection. The agency said the recovered cocaine weighed approximately 13 kilograms. During questioning, Mrs. Barek reportedly admitted own...