In a sweeping operation across Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dismantled two major cross-border drug trafficking syndicates, arresting six kingpins and seizing significant amounts of cocaine, opioids, and other drugs worth billions of naira. Months of surveillance and intelligence led to the crackdown, targeting syndicate leaders operating in Nigeria and Cameroon.
In a statement Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja Femi Babafemi said key arrests include Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, and Ibrahim Umar, who trafficked psychoactive drugs like tramadol from Onitsha to Northern Nigeria and Cameroon. Additional leaders Ezeh Amaechi Martin and Nelson Udechukwu Anayo facilitated supply chains, concealing drugs in vehicles modified with secret compartments. Bawuro and Najib were apprehended in Taraba, with NDLEA operatives recovering 276,500 tramadol pills.
Another suspect, Adejumo Elijah Ishola, was caught at Seme border in Lagos with 3.3 kg of cocaine and synthetic cannabis. At the Apapa seaport, officers intercepted over 31 million Voltron opioid pills disguised as diclofenac sodium. In Lagos, Olu Marshal, a software engineer, was detained with a strong strain of cannabis and drug paraphernalia at his residence in Lekki.
Operations extended to Kwara, where 162,800 tramadol pills were confiscated, and the Federal Capital Territory, where a truck carrying 755 kg of cannabis was seized. Notable arrests included Hassan Muhammad Ali, a Chadian suspect, and Nigerian nationals found with cannabis and tramadol across states like Kaduna, Edo, and Ondo.
In addition to these seizures, NDLEA Commands nationwide intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, conducting outreach programs at schools, workplaces, and communities. NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the agency’s officers for their commitment to combatting drug trafficking and promoting drug-free communities.
