NDLEA thwarts international drug syndicates, seizes illicit consignments

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully dismantled several desperate operations orchestrated by Drug Trafficking Organisations attempting to smuggle illicit substances to Europe.

During recent raids at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja and various courier services, officers recovered vast quantities of methamphetamine and opioids ingeniously concealed within carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers.

Two major consignments destined for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, resulting in the prompt arrest of two suspects linked to the shipments.

On Friday, March 20, 2026, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka was apprehended while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome. Upon inspection of his luggage, operatives discovered 2,698 pills of 225mg tramadol stealthily hidden inside containers of skin-lightening body cream. Ehianuka, who resides in Milan, later confessed in his statement that he had struck a deal to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros upon the successful delivery of the contraband to Italy.

In a similarly brazen attempt just days earlier, NDLEA operatives stationed at the departure hall of the same airport intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, on Wednesday, March 18. The 38-year-old suspect, who is also a resident of Milan, was preparing to board a Lufthansa Airlines flight to Italy. A thorough search of his belongings uncovered a massive haul of opioids meticulously sewn into two large winter jackets.

The concealed stash included 23,150 pills of 225mg tramadol, 4,000 tablets of 250mg tapentadol, and 1,320 pills of 100mg tramadol, bringing the total number of illicit pills recovered from him to 28,470.

The agency's dragnet also extended to courier firms operating within Lagos. On Monday, March 16, NDLEA officers intercepted a carton shipped from the United States that contained two parcels of Loud, a highly potent strain of cannabis weighing one kilogram.

During the same operation, the officers thwarted an outbound shipment destined for New Zealand, discovering 158 grams of methamphetamine carefully hidden within the corrugated walls of a shipping carton.

Domestic enforcement operations yielded equally significant results across multiple states. In Lagos, operatives conducted a raid on a store in the Otto area of Ijora on Wednesday, March 18, recovering no fewer than 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup.

That same day, two suspects identified as Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara were intercepted on the Third Mainland Bridge while transporting an additional 8,380 bottles of the same illicit substance. Meanwhile, in Kano State, operatives arrested 35-year-old Abdulkadir Mamuda at Dan-Tsalle with 102.5 kilograms of skunk, while a second suspect, 47-year-old Uche Johnson Festus, was apprehended at Naibawa Gabas in possession of 95.5 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance.

Further drug busts were recorded in Edo, the Federal Capital Territory, and Oyo states. On Monday, March 16, operatives recovered 97.5 kilograms of skunk from the residence of 37-year-old Akeem Idde in Ojah, located in the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.

Two days later, NDLEA officers in Abuja intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada expressway. A meticulous search of the vehicle's body compartments revealed a hidden cache of 91,840 tramadol pills, leading to the immediate arrest of the 27-year-old driver, Aminu Ali. In Oyo State, a suspect named Bankole Bari was taken into custody on Tuesday, March 17, at Oke-Oyan in the Ibarapa Local Government Area. He was caught with 71.2 kilograms of skunk that he had smuggled into Nigeria from the Benin Republic via the Oyan River.

The Northern commands also executed a series of successful interceptions. Along the Kaduna-Zaria highway on Tuesday, March 17, operatives recovered a staggering 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from 28-year-old Lawal Anas.

At the exact same location on Friday, March 20, they seized an additional 7,290 tablets of 225mg tramadol from 22-year-old Musa Shuaibu. Acting on credible intelligence in Taraba State on Tuesday, March 17, officers intercepted 26-year-old Aliyu Adamu along the Takum-Jalingo highway as he transported 77,660 capsules of tramadol to Gombe.

Additionally, a major operation in Yola, Adamawa State, on the same day led to the recovery of 82.8 kilograms of tramadol from a truck. Six suspects, identified as joint owners of the consignment—Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and another individual also named Musa Mohammed were swiftly arrested in follow-up operations.

Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA continued its widespread War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns across the country. Over the past week, commands and formations engaged communities, workplaces, worship centers, and educational institutions to spread awareness about the dangers of illicit drugs. These outreach programs were successfully hosted at Girls High School in Abakaliki, Ebonyi; New State High School in Mushin, Lagos; Cornerstone Secondary School in Sankwala, Cross River; Community Secondary School in Ngwo-Uno, Udi, Enugu; and St. John’s Academy in Ipokia, Ogun State.

Reacting to the week’s successes, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired), commended the officers and men across the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa commands.

He praised their dedication to the recent arrests and seizures, urging all personnel nationwide to maintain the agency's balanced approach to drug control efforts.