The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in unusual items such as frozen snails, giant rechargeable bulbs, and female clothes destined for the United States, United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement issued on Sunday, October 19, 2025, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the seizures were made at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, and a courier company in Lagos.
According to the agency, a cargo agent, Boladale Riliwan, was arrested on October 7 after officers discovered 15 parcels of skunk — a potent strain of cannabis — concealed in 10 giant rechargeable bulbs meant for export to the DRC.
Similarly, 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a UK-based Public Health Assistant, was apprehended on October 12 while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester. NDLEA officials found 2,300 tramadol pills hidden inside frozen snails in her luggage.
In another operation on October 16, officers intercepted 810 pills of bromazepam concealed in female clothing headed to the United States via a courier company in Lagos.
Meanwhile, in Adamawa State, operatives arrested Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South LGA, after discovering 38,270 tramadol tablets hidden in the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of his car driven from Benin Republic.
The agency also reported major cannabis farm destructions and arrests across Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Imo, and Enugu States, including:
- 53,250kg of skunk destroyed on 21.3 hectares in Ilawe Ekiti; three suspects arrested.
- 17,400kg skunk destroyed on 6.96 hectares in Ondo’s Aponmu forest reserve.
- 596kg skunk seized in Oyo and 88kg recovered in Ogun.
- 13,000 opioid pills seized in Imo and 74.5kg skunk recovered in Enugu.
- In Lagos, 117kg of skunk and 80,000 bottles of codeine syrup from India were confiscated at the Apapa Port.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), commended the officers for their vigilance and urged continued dedication to the agency’s “War Against Drug Abuse (WADA)” initiative, which continues to extend its sensitization campaigns across schools, religious centres, and workplaces nationwide.