In a sweeping nationwide crackdown, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Chinese businessman and an 80-year-old woman, among others, for their roles in various drug trafficking operations across Nigeria.
The arrests followed a series of coordinated raids between Monday, July 21, and Saturday, July 26, 2025, resulting in the seizure of large consignments of illicit drugs cleverly concealed in everyday food packaging such as moimoi sachets and canned goods.
One of the most high-profile arrests was that of Liang Tak You, a Chinese businessman of Malaysian nationality, who was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Friday, July 25.
Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives tracked Liang’s journey from Bangkok, Thailand, through Dubai, UAE, on an Emirates flight. He arrived in Nigeria with two suitcases containing 50 parcels of Canadian Loud, weighing 26.10kg, a synthetic and potent strain of cannabis.
NDLEA officials allowed Liang to pass through airport formalities before arresting him at the airport’s exit, concluding a successful international surveillance operation.
In a separate sting operation in Calabar, Cross River State, operatives arrested Mrs. Grace Ekpeme, an 80-year-old woman, at Edet-Nsa Street, Base Site.
Acting on a tip-off, officers discovered over 3kg of skunk—another strong strain of cannabis—at her residence in the early hours of Saturday, July 26.
In Lagos, a suspect, Chidi Agbafo, was arrested on Wednesday, July 23, while transporting 21.7kg of Colorado, including packages disguised as moimoi sachets, and 3.8 litres of codeine syrup in a commercial bus along the Epe-Ajah Expressway en route to Delta State.
Similarly, 101kg of Canadian Loud was discovered at Apapa Seaport, neatly packed in 202 tins of imported food items labelled ‘Bean Salad Mix’.
The illicit cargo, concealed inside two Toyota Sienna vans within a shipping container from Canada, was intercepted during a joint inspection by NDLEA, Customs, and other security agencies.
The NDLEA also carried out major raids and arrests across various states:
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Kaduna-Abuja Highway: 71,000 pills of tramadol, diazepam, and exol-5 were seized from Usman Musa traveling in a commercial bus on July 23.
Maiduguri, Borno: 30.1kg of skunk recovered from the home of Binta Usman, 30, with her accomplice, Bala Abdullahi, arrested two days later.
Ondo State: In Idoani forest, three brothers — Nanna, Chizom, and Maxwell Ozirinye — were arrested on July 26, and a 2,500kg skunk farm was destroyed. 121.4kg of processed cannabis was also recovered.
Edo State: In Benin City’s Asakpa community, NDLEA arrested Bright Sunday Okon, 26, and recovered various cannabis strains including Colorado, Loud, Arizona, and methamphetamine.
Keffi, Nasarawa: 105.4kg of skunk was recovered from an abandoned Honda vehicle.
Minna, Niger State: Bashir Abdullahi was arrested with 6,400 pills of 225mg tramadol at Kasuwan Gwari.
Ogun State: In Ifo, NDLEA apprehended Jamiu Omolaja, a notorious drug dealer, seizing 113kg of skunk after officers overcame violent resistance by his gang.
Gombe State: Adamu Adamu (a.k.a Dankyado) was caught with 10,910 tramadol capsules on the Gombe-Bajoga road.
Kogi State: Two major drug busts occurred. On July 24, skunk was intercepted en route to Katsina and Qatar, hidden in garri and dried scent leaves. Follow-up led to the arrest of Kindness Bala, 27, in Abuja. On July 26, 23,600 tramadol pills, 300 pentazocine ampoules, and 700g of skunk were seized from a truck in Ayigba.