The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a consignment of opioid worth N3 billion imported into Nigeria from India and Bangladesh at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. The consignment, which was seized on September 22, 2026, consisted of 2,550,000 pills of Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg, and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, with a combined gross weight of 1,640.55 kilograms. The NDLEA said the consignments were imported via Qatar Airways, RwandAir, and Ethiopian Airlines.
In a separate operation, the NDLEA arrested a 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu, for attempting to traffic 72 wraps of cocaine to Portugal. The suspect, who was intercepted on September 25, 2026, had ingested the cocaine and was attempting to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa. During interrogation, the suspect claimed he was into car decoration business in Lagos before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.
The NDLEA also arrested two suspects, Umar Hamidu, 35, and Abdulkarim Salihu, 45, in Bauchi, for attempting to traffic 300 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 262.5kg, concealed in the false bottom of a truck. The suspects were arrested along the Maiduguri bypass. Meanwhile, in Edo state, the NDLEA destroyed two cannabis farms with a combined estimated yield of 1,360.23kg at Eko Camp, Ilushi.
In Lagos, the NDLEA arrested two female suspects, Odumabo Kehinde, 36, and Obiekwe Chioma, 40, on September 26, 2026, for possessing 3.4kg of skunk. The suspects were arrested during a raid on Anifowoshe Street in Mushin. In another operation, the NDLEA intercepted a 58-year-old man, Ugwu Johnson, at Ebute-Ero motor park, with large quantities of illicit consignments, including 5.920kg skunk, 2,400 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and 40,000 pills of tramadol.
The NDLEA also arrested two Togolese nationals, Yinusa Abdulsamad, 35, and Fatai Baba, 33, on September 26, 2026, for attempting to traffic 305.6kg of skunk concealed in two pick-up vans. The suspects were arrested at Iganna-Ilero road, Iganna, Oyo state. The NDLEA said the suspects were involved in a cross-border trafficking racket, moving Ghanaian-sourced cannabis into Nigeria through the Oyo axis.
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, the NDLEA arrested five suspects with 420 cartons of nitrous oxide, popularly called laughing gas, weighing 1,688.4kg, along with two vehicles used in conveying the exhibit from the border into Lagos. The suspects, who included Kingsley John, 40, and Afeesu Idowu, 47, were arrested during an operation. The NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in the past week.
The NDLEA's WADA sensitization activities were taken to various schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities across the country. The activities, which aimed to educate people about the dangers of drug abuse, were conducted in several states, including Oyo, Edo, Gombe, and Kano. The Delta Ports Command of NDLEA also paid a WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatshe III, the Olu Of Warri, Delta state.
Key points
- The NDLEA seized a consignment of opioid worth N3 billion imported into Nigeria from India and Bangladesh.
- The agency arrested a 25-year-old newlywed businessman for attempting to traffic 72 wraps of cocaine to Portugal.
- The NDLEA conducted multiple operations across the country, arresting suspects and seizing large quantities of illicit drugs.
