NDLEA intercepts opioids, meth in carton walls, winter jackets, at Lagos airport

Desperate attempts by members of Drug Trafficking Organisations (DTOs) to move consignments of illicit substances especially methamphetamine and opioids concealed in walls of carton, winter jackets and body cream containers to countries in Europe have been foiled by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja and a courier firm in Lagos.

This was revealed by the anti-illicit drugs agency on its websites on Sunday by the Director, Media & Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi.

According to him, two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested. One of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka was going to Rome, Italy on Friday 20th March 2026 when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin light body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.

In his statement, Ehianuka who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.

In another drug bust, NDLEA operatives at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on Wednesday 18th March intercepted a passenger Christian Agbonhese, who was attempting to board a Lufthansa Airlines flight to Milan, Italy. Upon a thorough search of his luggage, no fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered from him to 28,470 pills. The 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan.

At a courier firm in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Monday 16th March intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped to Lagos from the United States. Also thwarted was an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand.

In Kano, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 18th March arrested a suspect Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed same day at Naibawa Gabas, with 95.5kg of same psychoactive substance.

Not less than 21, 737 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a store at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos when NDLEA operatives raided the area on Wednesday 18th March, while two suspects: Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara were arrested same day on 3rd mainland bridge, conveying 8,380 bottles of same substance.

While 97.5kg skunk was recovered from the home of a suspect Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo LGA, Edo State, on Monday 16th March, NDLEA operatives in Abuja on Wednesday 18th March intercepted a commercial bus along Gwagwalada expressway in the FCT. A thorough search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in its body compartments. The bus driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was promptly taken into custody.

In Oyo state, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was on Tuesday 17th March arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan river.

Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria highway, Kaduna on Tuesday 17th March, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at same location on Friday 20th March. Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives in Taraba state on Tuesday 17th March intercepted a suspect Aliyu Adamu, 26, along Takum-Jalingo highway while conveying 77,660 capsules of tramadol to Gombe.

In Adamawa state, no fewer than six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg tramadol in a truck in Yola on Tuesday 17th March. Suspects who are joint owners of the consignment include: Ramatu Aliyu; Jungudo Abdullahi; Najid Abdullahi; Musa Mohammed; Usman Abdulrahim and Musa Mohammed. They were all arrested in swift follow-up operations.

In like manner, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities in the past week. These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Girls High School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; New State High School, Mushin, Lagos; Cornerstone Secondary School, Sankwala, Cross River; Community Secondary School, Ngwo-Uno, Udi, Enugu and St. John’s Academy, Ipokia LGA, Ogun state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa Commands for the arrests, and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.