In a sweeping nationwide offensive against drug trafficking organisations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled at least six major syndicates, arresting nine drug kingpins and seizing tons of assorted illicit substances in a series of intelligence-driven operations.
In a statement issued by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency detailed several high-impact raids that uncovered sophisticated concealment methods, including methamphetamine and cocaine hidden in pressure machine cylinders, automobile brake servos, and even flight boarding passes.
The operations began with the arrest of two members of a drug cartel in Onitsha, Anambra State, who arrived to collect consignments containing 5.40kg of methamphetamine, 10.70kg of Loud, 16 grams of cocaine, and other illicit substances smuggled from South Africa. The duo, Ebulue Lotanwa Uzochukwu, 30, and 51-year-old returnee Christopher Michael Ndibuisi, were arrested following the interception of the packages at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on 13 November 2025.
At the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives also intercepted a brake servo auto part used to conceal 2.30kg of cocaine destined for Gabon. The freight agent, Ameh Solomon, and an auto parts dealer, Nwafor Tochukwu Boniface, were subsequently arrested during a follow-up operation.
In Kogi State, officers intercepted a trailer transporting 4,700kg of cannabis (skunk) at Kabba. Three suspects were arrested on the spot, while the identified kingpin, Marcus Danladi Dan Mangu, was apprehended days later in Jos.
A massive warehouse bust in Cross River State led to the arrest of a couple, Onun Okoi Okpotum (55) and his wife, Itam Okoi Okpotum (52), with 4,706kg of skunk recovered from their facility in Ugep, Yakurr LGA.
In Edo State, two young women running an online business for drug-laced brownies were arrested with assorted illicit items including skunk, Colorado, and plates of already-prepared brownies. Another suspect, Shedrack Aminu, was arrested in Ososo village with 59kg of skunk.
NDLEA personnel on patrol along the Enugu–Onitsha expressway also intercepted 10.1kg of skunk, over 100,000 tramadol pills, pentazocine injections, and 3,000 rounds of live ammunition from a 24-year-old suspect.
Across Kebbi, Niger, the FCT, Lagos, and Borno states, further seizures were recorded—from codeine-based syrup to opioids disguised in paracetamol containers, as well as thousands of tramadol capsules and large quantities of skunk and Loud recovered from warehouses, vehicles, apartments, and notorious drug enclaves.
Alongside enforcement, the Agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization drives, engaging students, teachers, religious groups, and community institutions nationwide.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the operatives for their commitment and urged them to sustain the momentum. He noted that criminal networks often attempt to exploit the festive season to intensify their activities.
“The coming weeks present both an opportunity and a challenge,” Marwa said. “Drug cartels may attempt to increase their illegal activities during the busy holiday period. We must not, and we will not, let down our guard.”
The NDLEA assured Nigerians that the ongoing crackdown will intensify to ensure that drug syndicates find no safe haven across the country.
