Nigeria: Nigerian hairstylist arrested in India with N1.8bn worth of drugs
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
A 25-year-old Nigerian woman, Ifeoluwa Akinwunmi, has been arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch in India for alleged drug trafficking. Akinwunmi, a hairstylist and nail artist, claimed she had traveled to India to open a beauty salon.
According to reports, Akinwunmi was arrested on Tuesday, June 16 2025, at Tarahunase village, Rajanukunte Main Road, Bengaluru, for allegedly possessing 5.325 kilograms of MDMA crystals worth over N1.8 billion. The police acted on a tip-off and intercepted Akinwunmi as she arrived from Delhi with a suspicious bag containing the drugs.
During interrogation, Akinwunmi claimed she was unaware of the contents of the bag and was instructed by a friend in Delhi to deliver it to a man wearing a black hat. She stated that she intended to start a salon business in Bengaluru and identified herself as the daughter of a Nigerian civil servant.
Akinwunmi entered India in October 2021 on a business visa but later obtained a student visa to study at a university in Telangana. However, she never enrolled and has been illegally overstaying in the country since her visa expired in 2022.
The police have handed Akinwunmi over to the jurisdictional Chikkajala Police Station for further investigation. This arrest comes just two days after another Nigerian national, Emmanuel Bediako, was apprehended by the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau for a similar offense.
