NDLEA Seizes N3.4 Billion Worth of Opioids in Major Raids Across Nigeria
…Drug cartel kingpin arrested after 10-month manhunt; 942 explosives bound for Zamfara intercepted; cannabis, tramadol and codeine uncovered in chocolate tins, body creams and buses across Nigeria
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted over 3.5 million pills of opioids and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup, with an estimated street value of more than N3.42 billion, in Lagos and Port Harcourt.
The agency also made multiple arrests, uncovered drugs hidden in chocolate tins, intercepted explosives, and apprehended a wanted drug kingpin who had been on the run for ten months.
The bulk of the seizures—comprising two million pills of tafrodol 225mg and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup—was made on Tuesday, 29th April 2025, during a coordinated examination of a watch-listed container at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne.
The operation was conducted jointly by NDLEA officers, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.
In Lagos, a further 1.5 million pills of a controlled opioid were recovered from a suspect, Olarenwaju Wahab, at the Alaba-Rago area of Ojo.
Investigations traced the origin of the consignment to a residence at Q104B Road 25, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, belonging to Obinna Kenneth, who is currently at large.
A major breakthrough was also recorded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, where NDLEA officers intercepted 42 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, weighing 20 kilogrammes.
The drugs were cleverly concealed in tins of chocolate, Milo beverage, white kidney beans, and dark red kidney beans, and arrived onboard a British Airways flight from Canada.
Three suspects, including the receiver of the consignment, Monsurat Ewawunmi Lawson, were apprehended between 30th April and 3rd May.
In a similar development, a businessman, Bobby Morris Osas, was arrested on 2nd May at MMIA while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy. A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 8,130 pills of tramadol in 225mg, 200mg, and 100mg dosages.
In yet another foiled drug trafficking attempt, NDLEA operatives thwarted an effort to export 104 grammes of tramadol and skunk to Iraq.
The illicit drugs were hidden in bottles of body cream and were intercepted at a courier company in Lagos on Monday, 28th April, by officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).
Meanwhile, along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway, NDLEA officers on patrol on Saturday, 3rd May, stopped a commercial vehicle travelling from Nasarawa State to Zamfara.
A search uncovered 942 explosives concealed in a sack. The suspect, Nura Sani Muhammad, aged 30, also known as Nura Hariji, was taken into custody.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has directed the immediate transfer of the suspect and explosives to the relevant security agency for further investigation.
In Kano, five members of a drug syndicate led by one Aminu Musa (alias Kadagi) were arrested at Dangoro market on 30th April. Officers recovered 50 blocks of skunk weighing 21.6kg.
In Edo State, on Thursday, 1st May, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a white Toyota bus in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area.
The vehicle, which originated from Onitsha in Anambra State and was headed to Auchi, was carrying 314,020 pills of tramadol, rophynol, diazepam, and exol5, along with 638 bottles of codeine syrup and 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection. One suspect, Dare Adeyemo, was arrested.
Also in Anambra, a Mazda commercial bus was stopped at Agu-Awka junction, Awka, on 30th April. NDLEA officers recovered 50,400 capsules of tramadol, 500 tablets of co-codamol, and 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection. The suspect, Chinedu Eneh, was apprehended.
In Niger State, a Mitsubishi Canter truck was intercepted along the Kontagora-Mokwa road on Saturday, 3rd May. The search led to the recovery of 5,500 capsules of tramadol and 2,300 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and the arrest of a 30-year-old suspect, Yusuf Abubakar.
In a significant milestone, NDLEA operatives arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Dominic Chiegozie Obijiaku, on Saturday, 26th April, after a ten-month intelligence-led investigation.
Obijiaku, the 52-year-old Managing Director of Ovidaq International Ltd, was allegedly behind the attempted importation of 2,616,060 pills of tramadol 225mg, seized by NDLEA at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on 28th July 2024. A follow-up search of his residence in Lekki uncovered 51 wraps of Canadian Loud weighing 34 grammes.
As part of its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy efforts, NDLEA conducted sensitisation lectures during the week. Notable among them were sessions held at Al-istigama University in Kano and Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Kankia, in Katsina State.
Brig. Gen. Marwa commended the officers and men of the agency’s commands in Lagos, PHPC, MMIA, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Niger, Anambra, and Apapa for their dedication and resilience.
He also applauded their counterparts across the country for maintaining a robust balance between drug supply reduction and demand reduction activities.
