Major drug bust: NDLEA seizes opioids, cannabis, meth in nationwide operations

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled multiple attempts by drug trafficking organisations to smuggle illicit substances, including methamphetamine and opioids, to Europe, recording significant seizures and arrests across Nigeria.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted two major consignments bound for Italy, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.

One of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was apprehended on March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome.

He was found with 2,698 pills of tramadol (225mg) concealed inside containers of skin-lightening body cream packed in his luggage.

During interrogation, Ehianuka, a Milan-based resident, admitted he was promised payment in euros upon successful delivery of the drugs.

In a separate operation on March 18, NDLEA operatives at the airport’s departure hall intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, who was preparing to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.

A detailed search of his luggage uncovered 28,470 opioid pills, including tramadol and tapentadol, cleverly hidden inside two large winter jackets. The 38-year-old suspect is also based in Milan.

At a Lagos courier facility, NDLEA officers on March 16 intercepted two parcels containing “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, shipped from the United States. Another attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed within the walls of a carton to New Zealand was also thwarted.

The agency’s operations extended across multiple states, leading to large-scale seizures:

In Kano, a 35-year-old suspect, Abdulkadir Mamuda, was arrested with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed with 95.5kg of the same substance at Naibawa Gabas.

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In Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided a store in Otto, Ijora, recovering 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup. Two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were also arrested on the Third Mainland Bridge with 8,380 bottles of the same substance.

In Edo State, 97.5kg of skunk was recovered from the residence of a suspect, Akeem Idde, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.

In Abuja, a commercial bus was intercepted along the Gwagwalada expressway, leading to the recovery of 91,840 tramadol pills concealed in body compartments. The driver, Aminu Ali, was arrested.

In Oyo State, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was arrested with 71.2kg of skunk smuggled into Nigeria through the Oyan River from the Benin Republic.

Further operations in Kaduna, Taraba, and Adamawa states led to additional seizures:

In Kaduna, 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, while another suspect was caught with 7,290 tramadol tablets.

In Taraba, NDLEA operatives intercepted a suspect transporting 77,660 tramadol capsules along the Takum-Jalingo highway.

In Adamawa, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola.

Beyond enforcement, NDLEA commands nationwide intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, workplaces, and communities. Awareness programmes were held in institutions across Ebonyi, Lagos, Cross River, Enugu, and Ogun states.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across various commands for their efforts, urging them to sustain a balanced approach combining enforcement with public education.

The latest operations underscore the persistent efforts of drug trafficking networks to exploit Nigeria as a transit hub, as well as the agency’s intensified crackdown aimed at curbing the flow of illicit substances both within and beyond the country.