By Bavoriat Clara
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled multiple attempts to traffic hard drugs through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, and across various states in Nigeria, intercepting large consignments of tramadol, cocaine, and cannabis cleverly hidden in car parts, cosmetics, and everyday items.
According to a statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Lagos airport intercepted a consignment of 71 vehicle side mirrors on Saturday, 19th July 2025. The shipment, scheduled for Libreville, Gabon via Air Côte d’Ivoire, was found to contain 57,420 pills of tramadol 225mg and 57 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.60 kilograms. A popular cargo agent, Ihekweme Osinachi Benedict, who facilitated the shipment, was arrested on the spot. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of another suspect, Uzochukwu Godspower Chukwurah, the following day.
A search of Uzochukwu’s residence on Monday, 21st July yielded 11 more parcels of cocaine hidden in four additional side mirrors. The recovered drugs weighed 1kg, bringing the total number of seized cocaine parcels to 68, with a combined weight of 2.60 kilograms.
In another significant operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a businesswoman, Mrs. Roseann Nneka Nwafor, at her shop within the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, on Friday, 1st August. She was linked to a drug consignment intercepted earlier on 10th July. The shipment, headed for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, contained 100 grams of cocaine and 300 grams of phenacetine, a chemical cutting agent, concealed in ladies’ lipsticks. Two cargo agents had previously been arrested in connection with the shipment. During interrogation, Mrs. Nwafor confessed that she sourced the lipsticks while her husband, Remigus Nwafor, now on the run, handled the concealment. She further revealed that the illicit trade was a joint family venture.
Across the Federal Capital Territory, three dispatch riders were apprehended on Wednesday, 30th July for distributing illicit substances within the city. The suspects Sabo Sule, 24; Samuel Nnamdi, 28; and Idris Jibrin, 28 were arrested during intelligence-led stop-and-search operations in the Gwarimpa, Jahi, and Galadimawa areas. A total of 149.8 grams of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, were recovered from them. In a separate operation on Saturday, 2nd August, Aliyu Abubakar, 25, and Adekunle Agbabiaka, 30, were arrested along the Abaji-Gwagwalada expressway with 91.1 kilograms of skunk.
In Mushin, Lagos, Joseph Michael was arrested on Saturday, 2nd August with 3.3 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis. The previous day, Ibrahim Sulaiman was apprehended in the Iwaya area of Yaba with 16.5 litres of skuchies, a locally made mixture of drugs and alcohol.
Along the Vandeikya-Ogoja road in Benue State, operatives intercepted 100,000 tramadol capsules from Hussein Yusuf, 37, on Friday, 1st August. That same day in Edo State, NDLEA officers raided a warehouse in Ekpoma, arresting William Alabi, 44, and recovering 233.5 kilograms of skunk.
In Borno State, operatives stationed at the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Maiduguri, intercepted a consignment of 160 tramadol pills hidden in footwear. The drugs were found in possession of a 38-year-old passenger, Umar Aminu, who was immediately arrested.
In Ogun State, NDLEA operatives arrested Yahaya Aminat Seyi on Friday, 1st August in the Oja Odan area. She was found in possession of 7,218 pills of opioids, predominantly tramadol. In Oyo State, officers apprehended Oladeji Saka, 54, with 77.5 kilograms of skunk in the Asanike area of Ibadan.
In Delta State, Benson Izah, 40, was arrested in Abraka with a cocktail of drugs, including 12.5 kilograms of skunk, 1 kilogram of tramadol, and 14.4 litres of codeine. In Bayelsa, NDLEA operatives arrested 52-year-old Chief Emeka Opara and 25-year-old Onuoha Chidinma along Tantua Road in Amassoma. A search of their shop and residence yielded 41,705 tramadol capsules and other assorted opioids.
In Kano State, Bashir Gambo, 30, was arrested at Yar Yasa town in Tudun Wada Local Government Area with 61 kilograms of skunk. In Osun State, two suspects, Kabiru Ayinde, 40, and Roqeeb Adekanmbi, 25, were arrested on Monday, 28th July in Ile-Ogbo, Iwo town. They were found with 90 kilograms of skunk, 36.3 grams of methamphetamine, a Toyota bus with registration number SMK 755 YF, and ₦228,200 in cash.
The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign during the week. Enlightenment lectures and advocacy visits were carried out in schools, religious centres, transportation hubs, and royal palaces.
These included Ciroma Ibrahim Islamiyya School in Potiskum, Yobe State; Sultan Maccido Institute in Wamakko, Sokoto; metro drivers of Borno Express in Maiduguri; and the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Abakpa Nike, Enugu. In Osun State, the NDLEA command paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Oluwo of Iwoland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abdurasheed Adewale Akanbi.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the professionalism and commitment of officers and men involved in the operations across Lagos, FCT, Benue, Edo, Delta, Oyo, Kano, Bayelsa, Ogun, Borno, and Osun. He encouraged them to sustain the momentum and continue employing a balanced approach in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
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