Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted opioid consignments valued at over ₦6.5 billion at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, and the Apapa Seaport, Lagos, as part of intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking across Nigeria.
In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed that six million pills of opioids—including Tamol 225mg, Tapentadol 225mg, and Carisoprodol 225mg—alongside 332,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup were recovered during the operations. The seizures were made possible through intelligence-led efforts and surveillance of new trafficking routes exploited by drug cartels.
At the Onne port, the agency, working jointly with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, recovered six million pills and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup from two containers. At the Apapa port, another 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup were discovered in a watch-listed container.
In a separate operation at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA officers arrested two British nationals, Mhizha Tatendra and Ayedipe Adejuwon, along with two Nigerian accomplices, Shonowo Imole and Ofuoma Ayobami. The suspects attempted to smuggle 92 bags of Loud—a potent cannabis strain—weighing 51.1kg into Nigeria from Doha via Qatar Airways. Intelligence led NDLEA operatives to monitor the suspects from arrival to a car park where they were intercepted.
Further investigation led to a raid at their Lekki residence, where officers recovered ₦3.8 million cash, 17,200 South African Rand, an Apple laptop, an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and four canisters of nitrous oxide.
Nationwide, NDLEA operatives carried out multiple crackdowns:
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Cross River State: 75,000kg of skunk destroyed across 30 hectares in Esuk-Odot village.
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Edo State: 1,957.5kg of cannabis plants destroyed in Ohosu forest and Okhuse community.
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Nasarawa State: 4,000kg of skunk found hidden under wood in a lorry at Keffi; 154.5kg recovered from another suspect in Karu.
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Kaduna State: 57,750 pills of tramadol and diazepam intercepted from a 22-year-old suspect along Kaduna–Zaria expressway.
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Bauchi State: 45kg of skunk seized from a 45-year-old suspect.
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Yobe State: 55 parcels of Colorado (2kg) destined for Chad were intercepted.
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Niger State: 97kg of cannabis discovered in a Mercedes Benz on the Mokwa–Jebba road.
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Lagos State: Raids in Lekki led to multiple arrests and seizures of cocaine, meth, Molly, Rohypnol, codeine, cannabis, and laughing gas.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the agency’s personnel across various commands for their commitment to disrupting drug supply networks while advancing drug demand reduction strategies through the ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy.
