…Seizes massive consignments in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, Adamawa
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled multiple attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle opioids and methamphetamine to Europe, intercepting consignments hidden inside body cream containers, winter jackets and carton walls at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, and a courier facility in Lagos.
The agency also recovered large quantities of illicit drugs during coordinated raids and interceptions across Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Taraba and Adamawa states, in what officials described as another major blow to drug trafficking networks.
Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement that two suspects linked to shipments bound for Italy were arrested at the Lagos airport. One of them, Friday Ehianuka, 37, a Milan resident, was intercepted on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream packed in his luggage. He reportedly confessed he was to be paid in Euros if the consignment had reached Italy.
In a separate operation at the departure hall of MMIA on Wednesday, March 18, NDLEA operatives arrested Christian Agbonhese, 38, another Milan-based passenger, as he attempted to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan. A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 28,470 opioid pills comprising 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all hidden inside two large winter jackets.
At a Lagos courier company, officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels of Loud cannabis weighing 1kg concealed in a carton shipped from the United States to Lagos. In the same operation, they also thwarted an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the walls of a carton bound for New Zealand.
Beyond the airport seizures, NDLEA operatives recorded major recoveries across the country. In Kano, Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, was arrested with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed the same day at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.
In Lagos, a raid on a store at Otto, Ijora, led to the recovery of 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup on Wednesday, March 18. On the same day, two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested on 3rd Mainland Bridge while transporting 8,380 bottles of the same controlled syrup.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo LGA, on Monday, March 16. In the FCT, officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway on Wednesday, March 18, where a search uncovered 91,840 pills of tramadol concealed in the vehicle’s body compartments. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, Bankole Bari was arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, on Tuesday, March 17, with 71.2kg of skunk allegedly smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives intercepted Lawal Anas, 28, along the Kaduna-Zaria highway on Tuesday, March 17, with 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5. At the same location on Friday, March 20, Musa Shuaibu, 22, was arrested with 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In Taraba State, officers acting on intelligence intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo highway on Tuesday, March 17, while conveying 77,660 capsules of tramadol reportedly destined for Gombe State.
Similarly, in Adamawa State, no fewer than six suspects were arrested following the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol concealed in a truck in Yola on Tuesday, March 17. The suspects identified as joint owners of the consignment were Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.
Babafemi added that NDLEA commands and formations nationwide also sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week, including outreach programmes in Ebonyi, Lagos, Cross River, Enugu and Ogun states.
Commending the officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba and Adamawa Commands for the arrests and seizures, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged them to remain steadfast in the agency’s balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand control nationwide.
