The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, skunk, and opioids in multiple operations across the country, including at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and in several northern states.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the seizures were made through coordinated operations targeting traffickers who employed unusual concealment methods such as underwear padding, food items, and phone chargers.
Airport Arrests
At MMIA, operatives arrested 46-year-old Ofoma Sunday, who arrived from Brazil via Addis Ababa on September 16. A body scan revealed he ingested illicit drugs, and under observation, he excreted 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.45kg. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of 55-year-old Nweke Jude Chuckwudi at a hotel in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, where he was to oversee the recovery.
Similarly, on September 19, another Brazilian returnee, Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu, was caught concealing cocaine internally. He excreted five wraps weighing 145 grams, confessing that he had originally inserted nine wraps in Brazil.
On September 14, operatives arrested 38-year-old businesswoman, Okolonkwo Ebere Theresa, who attempted to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha with 1.40kg of methamphetamine hidden in her underwear butt pads.
At the NAHCO export shed on September 15, NDLEA intercepted food consignments containing 40 wraps of methamphetamine (2.3kg) bound for Hong Kong, arresting 59-year-old Umelo Ifeanyi Venatus, who presented the shipment.
Another consignment intercepted on September 18 at a courier company in Lagos revealed 257 grams of cocaine concealed in seven phone chargers bound for New Zealand.
Northern Raids
In Adamawa, operatives seized 233,800 pills of tramadol in three operations. Nearly 196,000 pills were abandoned in a Toyota Sienna, while Rita Zira was arrested with 27,900 pills in Jambutu, Yola. Another suspect, Halilu Abubakar (22), was caught with 10,300 pills at Namtari checkpoint.
In Zamfara, NDLEA and Community Protection Guards intercepted 109 bags of skunk (1,099.4kg) in a Mitsubishi truck along Gummi–Daki Takwas Road, arresting driver Hammed Danladi Aliyu (40).
Other seizures included 14,000 capsules of tramadol recovered in Yobe, 25.5kg of skunk seized from Anas Hamisu (28) in Taraba, and the destruction of two cannabis farms covering over four hectares in Edo, with an estimated yield of 11,330kg. In addition, 148kg of processed skunk was recovered, and three suspects were arrested.
Marwa Commends Officers
NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), hailed the operations as a milestone in the fight against drug cartels.
“These arrests and seizures represent a significant step in our effort to dismantle drug trafficking organisations targeting Nigeria’s youth and tarnishing our country’s global image,” he said, urging personnel to sustain the agency’s balance of enforcement and advocacy under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
The NDLEA confirmed that sensitisation drives are ongoing in schools, religious centres, and workplaces nationwide, including Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Benue, and Kano states.
