NDLEA Foils Drug Trafficking Attempts, Seizes Large Consignments Nationwide

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in unusual items and carried out coordinated raids across several states, leading to the arrest of suspects and recovery of large quantities of narcotics.
Operatives of the agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos foiled attempts by drug trafficking organisations to smuggle opioids and methamphetamine to Europe. Two suspects linked to Italy-bound shipments were arrested during separate operations.
One of the suspects, identified as 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Rome with 2,698 pills of tramadol hidden inside containers of body cream packed in his luggage. He reportedly admitted he was promised payment in euros upon successful delivery.
In another interception at the Lagos airport, 38-year-old Christian Agbonhese was arrested while trying to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan. A search of his luggage uncovered 28,470 opioid pills, including tramadol and tapentadol, concealed in two winter jackets.
At a courier facility in Lagos, NDLEA operatives also intercepted parcels containing Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, shipped from the United States. An additional attempt to export methamphetamine concealed in carton walls to New Zealand was also thwarted.
Nationwide operations extended to Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Taraba, and Adamawa States, where officers recovered significant quantities of illicit substances and arrested several suspects. In Kano, two individuals were arrested with over 190kg of skunk, while in Kaduna, operatives seized hundreds of thousands of opioid pills along the Kaduna-Zaria highway. Similar seizures were recorded in Taraba, where a suspect was intercepted transporting tens of thousands of tramadol capsules, and in Adamawa, where multiple suspects were arrested in connection with a truck conveying large quantities of opioids.
In Lagos, over 21,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a store in the Ijora area, while additional arrests were made involving individuals transporting thousands of bottles of the same substance.
The NDLEA also reported ongoing sensitisation campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, with lectures held in schools and communities across the country to educate the public on the dangers of drug abuse.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers involved in the operations and urged continued commitment to sustained and balanced drug control efforts nationwide.