The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its global and domestic clampdown on narcotics trafficking, intercepting a series of cleverly concealed illicit drug consignments bound for the United States, United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, operatives of the agency made multiple arrests and seizures across strategic locations, including the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos, as part of an ongoing offensive against drug smuggling networks.
International Drug Routes Busted
NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport arrested Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent, on October 7, 2025, after discovering 15 parcels of cannabis sativa (skunk) ingeniously packed inside 10 giant rechargeable electrical bulbs meant for airfreight to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Similarly, on October 12, 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a UK-based public health assistant, was apprehended at MMIA Terminal 2. She was caught attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester with 2,300 tramadol 225mg pills concealed inside frozen snails.
In another operation, NDLEA officers on October 16 intercepted a parcel containing 810 bromazepam pills hidden among female clothes at a Lagos courier facility, foiling an attempt to ship the drugs to the United States.
Domestic Seizures and Arrests
In Adamawa State, NDLEA operatives stopped Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South LGA, where 38,270 tramadol tablets were found hidden in the spare tyre, boot, and door panels of his Honda Civic. He reportedly drove from Benin Republic to smuggle the consignment into Nigeria.
A massive anti-narcotics operation in Ekiti State saw officers destroy 53,250 kilograms of skunk cultivated on 21.3 hectares of farmland in Ilawe Ekiti between October 12 and 13. Three suspects — Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20) — were arrested.
This followed the destruction of another 17,400 kilograms of cannabis on 6.96 hectares at Aponmu Forest Reserve, Akure, Ondo State, earlier that week.
In Oyo State, four suspects — Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30) — were arrested with 596kg of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora, while another duo, Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25), were caught with 273kg in Odo-Oyan, Igangan on October 16.
In Ogun State, Joseph Andrew was caught with 88kg of cannabis on October 15, while Festus Udoh (42) was arrested along the Onitsha–Owerri Road, Imo State, with 13,000 opioid pills. Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Enugu State recovered 74.5kg of skunk from Joseph Chukwujamaa’s store in Umuogbo-Agu village on October 18.
In Lagos, a raid on Ramoni Olukowi’s base in Mushin led to the seizure of 117kg of skunk, while at the Apapa Port, a joint operation with the Nigerian Customs Service and other security agencies intercepted 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container imported from India.
Nationwide WADA Campaign
Beyond enforcement, NDLEA continues to scale up its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy efforts. In the past week, sensitization campaigns were held across schools, communities, and workplaces, including:
- Commercial Grammar School, Igogo-Ekiti
- Junior Secondary Smart School, Kasarawa, Katsina
- Government Technical College, Ahoada, Rivers
- Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Yau Danzabuwa, Jigawa
- Attarbiyya Community College, Hotoro, Kano
- Fuga Mixed Secondary School, Edo
- St. Cyprian Special Science School, Nsukka, Enugu
- St. Peter’s College, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State
Marwa Commends NDLEA Operatives Nationwide
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers of the MMIA, Apapa, Lagos, Ekiti, Adamawa, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Ondo, and Imo Commands for their “resilience, vigilance, and professionalism” in tracking down the criminal syndicates.
He urged them to sustain the balanced approach of enforcement and education in combating the drug menace, stressing that “every seizure, every sensitization campaign, brings Nigeria closer to a safer, drug-free society.”
NDLEA intercepts international drug consignments hidden in frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and clothes bound for the US, UK, and DRC; arrests suspects nationwide and destroys 70,000kg of skunk in major forest raids across Ekiti and Ondo States.
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