The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confiscated illegal drugs worth over ₦3.42 billion in sweeping operations across Lagos, Rivers, and several other Nigerian states. The seizures include over 3.5 million opioid pills and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup.
A major haul occurred at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, where officers uncovered two million Tafrodol pills and thousands of codeine bottles during a joint inspection. In Lagos, another 1.5 million pills were seized from a suspect, Olarenwaju Wahab, with the supply traced to a residence in Victoria Garden City, Lekki.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, NDLEA agents intercepted 42 parcels of Canadian Loud cannabis disguised as food products, including chocolate, Milo, and kidney beans. Three suspects, including Monsurat Ewawunmi Lawson, were arrested in connection with the shipment from Canada via British Airways. In a separate case, Bobby Morris Osas was arrested at the airport attempting to smuggle over 8,000 tramadol pills aboard a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy.
Additional crackdowns extended to Kaduna, where NDLEA officers intercepted a vehicle carrying 942 explosives on the Kaduna-Zaria highway. The suspect, Nura Sani Muhammad, was taken into custody. Further seizures occurred in Kano, Edo, Anambra, and Niger states, with notable arrests including Chinedu Eneh in Anambra, found with over 50,000 tramadol capsules.
One of the most significant breakthroughs came with the arrest of Dominic Chiegozie Obijiaku, a drug kingpin wanted for importing more than 2.6 million tramadol pills seized in July 2024. Obijiaku was captured after a 10-month manhunt.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the operatives for their tenacity and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to its anti-drug crusade, stating the NDLEA remains resolute in dismantling trafficking networks across the country.
