- 85-year-old grandmother arrested with 179kg of cannabis in Edo as agency destroys 7.5 tonnes at Ondo plantation
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 8,725 kilogrammes of tramadol powder worth more than ₦6.98 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos and foiled an attempt to smuggle cannabis to Saudi Arabia concealed in a gallon of palm oil.
The nationwide crackdown also led to the arrest of an 85-year-old grandmother allegedly found with 179 kilogrammes of cannabis in Edo State, the destruction of 7,500 kilogrammes of the substance at a plantation in Ondo State and the seizure of hundreds of thousands of opioid tablets and capsules across several states.
The operations, which covered Lagos, Kano, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), targeted drug trafficking networks operating through international airports, seaports, highways, markets, residential communities and cannabis farms.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, during the outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa.
A search of her luggage reportedly uncovered 511.75 grammes of cannabis, popularly known as skunk, concealed in a gallon of palm oil.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, Ahmad told investigators that her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, had given her the gallon. Yahaya was subsequently arrested at the airport car park.
The airport interception coincided with a major seizure at the Apapa Port in Lagos, where NDLEA operatives, working alongside the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, uncovered a shipment of powdered tramadol imported from India and falsely declared as maize starch.
The consignment was discovered on October 2 at the APM terminals during a joint examination. Laboratory analysis by the NDLEA subsequently confirmed that the substance was tramadol hydrochloride powder.
When the concealed drugs were separated and weighed on October 14, they amounted to 8,725 kilogrammes packed in 349 bags, with an estimated street value exceeding ₦6.98 billion.
At the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, operatives on October 12 discovered 55 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, valued at ₦165 million, concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle shipped in a 40-foot container.
The agency also intensified operations against illicit drug distribution networks within Lagos metropolis.
At Idumota Market on October 14, operatives arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu and recovered 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store.
In Mushin, two 35-year-old suspects, Idowu Daudu and Ahmed Oniyinde, were arrested on October 15 with 59.95 kilogrammes and 61.23 kilogrammes of skunk, respectively.
Another operation along the Iyana Oba axis led to the interception of a truck conveying illicit drugs from Trade Fair Market. The NDLEA arrested the loading manager, Tajudeen Adeduntan, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru, after recovering 18,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg allegedly concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide.
85-year-old grandmother among suspects arrested in Edo
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested six suspects during raids in Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East Local Government Area between October 15 and 16.
Among those arrested was 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, who was allegedly found with 179 kilogrammes of skunk at Warake.
Other suspects included Ayo Aigberadion, 53, allegedly found with 220.8 kilogrammes of cannabis at Ewe/Irue; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852 kilogrammes; Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grammes; Musa Mubid, 35, with two kilogrammes of cannabis, cannabis seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam; and Hope Okoro, 35, with 237 grammes of Loud.
The agency said the arrests formed part of its efforts to dismantle local drug distribution networks and disrupt supplies in communities across the state.
NDLEA destroys 7.5 tonnes of cannabis in Ondo
In Ondo State, operatives acting on intelligence raided a cannabis plantation at Okemoro Isinbode Camp Forest on October 17, destroying 7,500 kilogrammes of skunk cultivated across three hectares.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35.
The operatives also recovered 92 bags of skunk weighing 1,267 kilogrammes, 11 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and three kilogrammes of fresh stems, bringing the total weight of the recovered exhibits to 1,281 kilogrammes.
In a separate operation at Ameyinti in Owo, a 53-year-old suspect, Okunebe Ndidi, was arrested on October 16 with 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375 kilogrammes.
Hundreds of thousands of opioid pills seized
The crackdown extended to northern Nigeria, where operatives recorded significant seizures of tramadol and other controlled substances.
In Bauchi State, officers intercepted a Volkswagen Golf wagon driven by Shamsu Garba, 35, at Ragwam village in Katagum Local Government Area on October 14. The search reportedly yielded 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets.
On the same day, NDLEA patrol officers along the Bauchi-Gombe Road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265 kilogrammes from an abandoned vehicle at Tudun Natsira village.
In Kano State, Ali Abdullahi, 38, and Ibrahim Adamu, 23, were arrested along the Zaria-Kano Road on October 13 with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
The following day, operatives arrested 54-year-old Murtala Dayyabu at Niger Street, Malan Kato, with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5.
In Kaduna State, a raid at Kayimi village resulted in the arrest of Mohammed Sani, 48; Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29; and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, with 496.5 kilogrammes of cannabis.
Another operation at Food Palace on Ali Akilu Road led to the arrest of John Ayo David, 39, with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In the FCT, operatives arrested a 42-year-old suspect, Odo Jonas Ejike, in the Utako area on October 17 with 29,500 capsules of tramadol.
Marwa orders sustained intelligence-led operations
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said it continued public enlightenment campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, reaching schools, places of worship, workplaces and communities across the country.
Commending officers of the Apapa, Tincan, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Kano, Kaduna and FCT Commands for their operations, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), urged them to sustain intelligence-driven efforts against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa also called on personnel nationwide to maintain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control by combining arrests and seizures with preventive education and public awareness.
The latest operations underscore the scale and geographical spread of the NDLEA’s ongoing campaign against illicit drug trafficking, spanning international supply routes, commercial ports, domestic distribution networks and cannabis cultivation sites.
The agency said sustained enforcement, intelligence gathering and community engagement remained critical to disrupting drug supply chains and reducing the threat posed by illicit substances to public health and national security.
