The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has conducted a significant operation, seizing drugs with an estimated street value of ₦3.428 billion in Lagos and Rivers states. The haul, intercepted between April 26 and May 3, 2025, included approximately 3.5 million pills of opioids, primarily tramadol, and 163,000 bottles of codeine-based syrups. The agency’s efforts targeted multiple trafficking networks, resulting in several arrests and the disruption of illicit drug supply chains operating through Nigeria’s major ports and urban centers.
In Rivers State, the bulk of the seizure occurred on April 29, 2025, at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne. During a joint examination with the Nigerian Customs Service and other security agencies, NDLEA operatives uncovered 2 million pills of Tafrodol 225mg and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup in a watch-listed container. This operation was part of a broader strategy to curb the inflow of controlled substances through Nigeria’s ports, which have been identified as key entry points for drug trafficking syndicates. The agency’s intelligence-driven approach ensured the container was flagged and thoroughly inspected, preventing the drugs from reaching the streets.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 1.5 million pills of a controlled opioid from a suspect, Olarenwaju Wahab, on April 29, 2025, at the Alaba-Rago area of Ojo along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. The consignment’s source was traced to a residence in Victoria Garden City, Lekki, belonging to an individual named Obinna Kenneth, who remains at large.
Additional operations in Lagos included the interception of 42 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 20 kilograms, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport on April 30. The cannabis was concealed in tins of chocolate, Milo beverage, and kidney beans, arriving via a British Airways flight from Canada. Three suspects, including the consignment’s receiver, Monsurat Ewawunmi Lawson, were arrested in connection with this seizure.
The NDLEA’s nationwide crackdown extended beyond Lagos and Rivers. In Kano, five members of a syndicate led by Aminu Musa, alias Kadagi, were apprehended on April 30 with 21.6 kilograms of skunk. In Edo State, a Toyota bus carrying 314,020 tramadol pills, 638 bottles of codeine syrup, and other opioids was intercepted on May 1, with one suspect, Dare Adeyemo, taken into custody. In Anambra, a Mazda bus yielded 50,400 tramadol capsules and other drugs, leading to the arrest of Chinedu Eneh. A notable arrest involved a businessman, Bobby Morris Osas, caught at Lagos airport on May 2 with 8,130 tramadol pills while attempting to board a flight to Italy. The agency also thwarted a syndicate’s attempt to ship 104 grams of tramadol and skunk to Iraq via a courier company in Lagos.
These operations reflect the NDLEA’s intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse, with the agency’s chairman commending operatives for their balanced approach to supply reduction and demand reduction through advocacy. The seizures underscore the scale of Nigeria’s challenge with illicit drugs, particularly opioids and codeine syrups, which have fueled addiction and related social issues. The NDLEA continues to collaborate with other security agencies to strengthen port security and disrupt trafficking networks, aiming to protect public health and safety.