American Basketball Player Arrested for Cannabis at Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an American professional basketball player at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. He was taken into custody for allegedly bringing nearly 34 kilograms of cannabis, known as Loud, from Thailand.

The 28-year-old was arrested on Wednesday, November 11, after he reportedly left two checked bags containing the drugs and tried to leave the airport with just his hand luggage. The NDLEA said he arrived in Lagos on an Emirates flight from Thailand via Dubai.

According to the agency, officers had been watching him based on reliable information. They saw him abandon the two bags before he was caught in the airport car park. A search revealed 32 parcels of cannabis weighing about 34 kg, along with a tracking device in the luggage.

The suspect, who is from Savannah, Georgia, told investigators he had been living in Thailand since October 2025 to play professional basketball. He came to Nigeria on holiday to make connections for his career. A check of his mobile phone suggested he was aware of and involved in drug trafficking.

In a separate case at the same airport, NDLEA agents found over 25 kg of methamphetamine hidden in breakfast cereal boxes. A 56-year-old Nigerian man was arrested after returning from South Africa, where he had lived for over two decades. He allegedly admitted to using fake documents to enter South Africa and claimed he was paid to deliver the drugs to Nigeria.

The arrests at the airport are part of a larger operation across several states, including Lagos, Kaduna, and Delta, where authorities seized various illegal drugs and firearms. NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa praised the officers for their efforts and highlighted the connection between drug trafficking and violent crime.