NDLEA seizes N3.4bn worth of drugs in Lagos and Rivers, arrests multiple suspects nationwide
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted illicit drugs valued at over ₦3.4 billion in Lagos and Rivers states, with several additional seizures and arrests made across the country in the past week.
According to a statement on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the agency seized 3.5 million pills of opioids and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup, with the bulk of the haul uncovered on April 29 during a joint operation with customs officers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne.
In Lagos, 1.5 million pills of a controlled opioid were recovered from a suspect, Olarenwaju Wahab, in the Alaba-Rago area. The source of the consignment was traced to a residence in Victoria Garden City, Lekki, belonging to Obinna Kenneth, who is now on the run.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, NDLEA operatives intercepted 20kg of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in tins of beverages and legumes. The packages had arrived via a British Airways flight from Canada. Three suspects, including Monsurat Ewawunmi Lawson, were arrested between April 30 and May 3.
Other operations include the arrest of businessman Bobby Morris Osas, caught with 8,130 pills of tramadol at Lagos airport en route to Italy, and the foiled attempt to ship tramadol and skunk hidden in body cream bottles to Iraq via a Lagos courier firm.
In Kaduna, operatives arrested Nura Sani Muhammad with 942 explosives hidden in a sack in a commercial vehicle, while in Kano, a five-man syndicate led by Aminu Musa (aka Kadagi) was arrested with 50 blocks of skunk weighing 21.6kg.
Further arrests were made in Edo, Anambra, and Niger States, where assorted opioids and injections were confiscated during routine patrols. In one instance, over 314,000 pills of various narcotics were recovered from a bus in Uromi, Edo State.
Notably, after a 10-month manhunt, NDLEA apprehended Dominic Chiegozie Obijiaku, Managing Director of Ovidaq International Ltd, for his role in importing 2.6 million tramadol pills via Apapa port in July 2024. A follow-up search of his Lekki residence uncovered 34 grams of Canadian Loud.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the efforts of officers across the country and reiterated the agency’s commitment to balancing drug supply reduction with demand reduction. He also highlighted ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools across Kano, Katsina, and other states.
