The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made a significant seizure at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, intercepting 2.55 million pills of pharmaceutical opioids with a combined gross weight of 1,640.55 kilogrammes. The seized opioids, valued at over N3 billion, were discovered during a joint examination of three monitored consignments at the airport's import shed on Tuesday, September 22. The consignments contained Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg, and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, imported from India and Bangladesh.
The NDLEA described the seizure as one of its biggest opioid hauls this year. The agency's spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the value of the seized opioids to be over N3 billion. The consignments were shipped through Qatar Airways, RwandAir, and Ethiopian Airlines. This significant seizure highlights the NDLEA's efforts to combat drug trafficking and smuggling in Nigeria.
In a separate operation at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu, a 25-year-old businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, was arrested for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine to Portugal. Chukwulobelu was intercepted at the airport's departure hall on Thursday, September 24, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa. He had ingested 72 wraps of cocaine and was subsequently placed under excretion observation.
During the observation, Chukwulobelu expelled all the wraps of cocaine. According to the agency, he had been involved in the car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, before relocating to Portugal in May 2023. He returned to Nigeria recently and got married on September 13, 2026, but allegedly resorted to drug trafficking to offset expenses incurred during his wedding.
The NDLEA also reported the arrest of two suspected cannabis traffickers in Bauchi. Umar Hamidu, 35, and Abdulkarim Salihu, 45, were intercepted along the Maiduguri bypass with 300 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 262.5kg. The cannabis was allegedly concealed in a false compartment of a truck marked MUB757 YH. This seizure demonstrates the NDLEA's continued efforts to combat cannabis trafficking in Nigeria.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, destroyed two cannabis farms at Eko Camp, Ilushi, on September 23. The farms had an estimated combined yield of 1,360.23kg of cannabis. This destruction is part of the NDLEA's efforts to disrupt cannabis cultivation and trafficking in Nigeria.
The NDLEA also made several other seizures and arrests in Lagos and other states. Two women, Odumabo Kehinde, 36, and Obiekwe Chioma, 40, were arrested during a raid on Anifowoshe Street, Mushin, where 3.4kg of skunk was recovered. Additionally, a 58-year-old man, Ugwu Johnson, was intercepted at Ebute-Ero Motor Park with 5.920kg of skunk, 2,400 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 8,400 tablets of nitrazepam, and 40,000 pills of tramadol.
Key points
- The NDLEA seized 2.55 million opioid pills worth N3 billion at the Lagos airport.
- The agency arrested a 25-year-old businessman for attempting to traffic cocaine to Portugal.
- The NDLEA destroyed two cannabis farms in Edo State with an estimated combined yield of 1,360.23kg of cannabis.
