The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a major breakthrough in its war against drug trafficking with the interception of illicit drug consignments worth over ₦6.5 billion at seaports in Lagos and Rivers States, and the arrest of two British nationals and their Nigerian collaborators at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
A total of six million opioid pills—including Tamol 225mg, Tapentadol 225mg, and Carisoprodol 225mg—alongside 332,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were seized from the Apapa and Onne Ports. These seizures, conducted during joint inspections with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, stemmed from intensified intelligence and the tracking of new smuggling routes.
At MMIA, NDLEA operatives arrested Mhizha Jordan Alexander Tatendra and Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon, both British nationals, and two Nigerians—Shonowo Oluwaseun Imole and Ofuoma Omokaro Ayobami—for attempting to smuggle 92 bags of “Loud” cannabis weighing 51.10kg. The syndicate was apprehended in the airport car park after a controlled operation, with follow-up searches revealing over ₦3.8 million in cash, 17,200 South African Rand, electronic devices, and canisters of nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives destroyed a combined 77,000kg of cannabis (skunk) across Cross River and Edo States, recovered 4,000kg in Nasarawa, and made multiple arrests in Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe, Niger, and Lagos. Among these operations, a 22-year-old suspect was caught with nearly 58,000 pills of tramadol and diazepam, while another was intercepted with 80 blocks of skunk weighing 45kg.
In Lagos’ Lekki area, targeted raids led to the arrest of suspects and the seizure of cocaine, methamphetamine, molly, rohypnol, and nitrous oxide, demonstrating the agency’s growing focus on synthetic drug circulation.
NDLEA also intercepted 55 parcels of Colorado cannabis en route to Chad via Yobe and Borno States, and 235 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 97kg in Niger State.
As enforcement efforts intensified, the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative continued nationwide, with sensitization campaigns held in secondary schools across Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Adamawa, and Kano, including advocacy visits to key traditional leaders.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers for their vigilance and emphasized the importance of balancing supply reduction with demand-side education and advocacy, reiterating the agency’s resolve to dismantle drug syndicates and safeguard public health across Nigeria.