Major busts in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and other states highlight agency’s intensified fight against drug trafficking
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking with a series of major seizures and arrests across Nigeria, leading to the recovery of narcotics worth over N3.4 billion in Lagos and Port Harcourt alone.
In a joint operation on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, NDLEA operatives, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted 2 million pills of tafrodol 225mg and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne. These substances were concealed in a watch-listed container and have a combined street value running into billions of naira.
On the same day in Lagos, officers seized 1.5 million pills of a controlled opioid in the Alaba-Rago area of Ojo. The consignment was traced to a residence in Victoria Garden City, Lekki, belonging to one Obinna Kenneth, who is currently at large. The drugs were recovered from suspect Olarenwaju Wahab.
Further seizures were made at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, where 42 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 20kg, were intercepted. The contraband was smuggled in tins of chocolate, Milo beverage, and kidney beans onboard a British Airways flight from Canada. At least three suspects, including Monsurat Ewawunmi Lawson, were arrested between April 30 and May 3.
Another bust occurred on May 2, when Bobby Morris Osas, a businessman, was arrested at Lagos airport while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy. He was found with 8,130 pills of tramadol in varying doses (225mg, 200mg, and 100mg).
A separate attempt to smuggle 104 grams of tramadol and skunk concealed in body cream bottles to Iraq via a courier service in Lagos was thwarted on April 28 by officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).
In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a commercial vehicle heading to Zamfara on May 3, uncovering 942 explosives hidden in a sack. Nura Sani Muhammad, a 30-year-old suspect also known as Nura Hariji, was arrested, and the case has been transferred to the relevant security agency.
In Kano, a syndicate led by Aminu Musa (alias Kadagi) was dismantled on April 30. Five members were arrested at Dangoro market with 50 blocks of skunk weighing 21.6kg.
In Edo State, officers acting on intelligence intercepted a bus in Uromi on May 1, recovering 314,020 pills of various opioids, 638 bottles of codeine, and 200 ampoules of pentazocine. A suspect, Dare Adeyemo, was arrested.
In Anambra, a commercial bus was stopped at Agu-Awka junction on April 30, yielding 50,400 capsules of tramadol, 500 tablets of co-codamol, and 300 ampoules of pentazocine. Chinedu Eneh was taken into custody.
In Niger State, officers recovered 5,500 tramadol capsules and 2,300 pentazocine ampoules from a Mitsubishi truck along the Kontagora–Mokwa road on May 3. Yusuf Abubakar, 30, was arrested.
After 10 months of investigation, the NDLEA also apprehended Dominic Chiegozie Obijiaku, 52, the Managing Director of Ovidaq International Ltd, in connection with a July 2024 tramadol shipment containing 2.6 million pills. A follow-up raid on his Lekki residence uncovered 51 wraps of Canadian Loud.
Meanwhile, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with sensitization lectures in schools across Kano and Katsina States.
Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers nationwide for their continued vigilance and efforts in both drug supply reduction and demand reduction, urging all commands to maintain the momentum in safeguarding communities from the drug menace.