NDLEA Cracks Down on Drug Syndicates: Six Kingpins Arrested, Massive Hauls of Cocaine, Opioids Recovered

…Lekki Software Engineer, Chadian National Among Those Apprehended in Coordinated Operation Spanning Eight States

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled two extensive cross-border drug trafficking networks, arresting six cartel leaders and seizing large quantities of cocaine and opioids valued in billions of naira.

The operation, which spanned multiple Nigerian states, was the result of months of intelligence gathering and meticulous surveillance, with the NDLEA revealing the involvement of nationals from Nigeria and Cameroon.

The syndicates operated in Mubi, Adamawa; Onitsha, Anambra; and Lagos State, allegedly supplying illicit substances to terrorist groups across Nigeria and Cameroon.

Among those arrested were cartel leaders identified as Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar, Nelson Udechukwu Anayo, Ezeh Amaechi Martin, and Adejumo Elijah Ishola.

In a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA, the Agency disclosed that Ibrahim Bawuro and Najib Ibrahim sourced tramadol and other psychoactive substances from Nelson Udechukwu Anayo, a known trafficker in Onitsha.

The drugs were then concealed within vehicles parked at Ezeh Amaechi Martin’s property before being transported in hidden compartments to northern Nigeria and Cameroon.

On 7th October, NDLEA agents apprehended Bawuro and Najib in Taraba with 276,500 tramadol pills in a Toyota Avensis abandoned on the Jalingo-Yola expressway after detecting NDLEA surveillance.

Further operations led to the arrests of Ezeh Amaechi Martin and Nelson Udechukwu Anayo in Delta and Anambra states, respectively, coordinated by the NDLEA’s Directorate of Intelligence.

In a separate bust, another syndicate leader, Adejumo Elijah Ishola, 37, was detained at the Seme border on 5th November en route from Ghana with 3.3kg of cocaine and 600 grams of synthetic cannabis.

NDLEA’s operatives had tracked Ishola’s cross-border activities for months, leading to this high-profile arrest.

The NDLEA’s offensive extended to Lagos ports, where on 6th November officers, in collaboration with Customs, intercepted 31.75 million pills of 240mg Voltron, a controlled opioid smuggled in as diclofenac sodium.

Meanwhile, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), 700 grams of a potent cannabis strain, ‘Loud,’ were seized, leading to the arrest of Olu Marshal, a software engineer, who came to collect the consignment. A subsequent search of Marshal’s home uncovered drug paraphernalia.

Another trafficking attempt was thwarted on 8th November when Orji Ogbonna Nnaorji attempted to export 32.5kg of codeine syrup and 5.7kg of cannabis to London, concealed in tiger nuts. The Agency’s follow-up operation led to Nnaorji’s capture at his warehouse in Lagos.

In Kwara State, NDLEA reported that operatives seized 162,800 opioid pills during targeted operations. This included 112,200 tramadol tablets from Wahab Alao Saliu and 18,900 from Dalha Musa, both arrested in Ilorin’s Eiyenkorin area.

In Bode Saadu, agents seized 29,000 tramadol pills, 200 diazepam ampoules, and 99 bottles of codeine syrup from Ahmed Isiaka, while another 2,500 tramadol tablets were confiscated from Ahmed Garba.

The crackdown also extended to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where 755.5kg of cannabis hidden under empty cartons of noodles was intercepted on the Abaji-Kwali road. Lukman Rasheed, the driver, claimed to have loaded the cannabis in Ondo after leaving Lagos with only the cartons.

In Taraba, 361 compressed cannabis blocks were found in a bus on the Wukari-Ibi road, while Plateau state agents arrested Hamza Yakubu, 30, and Abdulra’uf Danjuma, 23, with 113 blocks of cannabis weighing 141kg.

Meanwhile, a Chadian national, Hassan Muhammad Ali, was detained in Kano with 3,000 tramadol pills.

The campaign also saw operations in Edo and Ondo states, with agents seizing large quantities of cannabis in forest hideouts and towns.

In Edo, 1,078kg of cannabis was recovered from the Okhuokhuo-Isi forest, while in Ondo, 672kg was seized from suspects in Emure Ile. NDLEA agents also recovered 4,908kg of cannabis from a suspect in Akure.

Alongside these operations, the NDLEA has continued its nationwide “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitisation lectures at schools, workplaces, and traditional palaces.

Highlights included educational visits to institutions in Lagos, Cross River, and Oyo, as well as an advocacy visit to the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Oba Ewuare II.

NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) lauded the efforts of the officers across the country, commending their diligence in both enforcement and community outreach.