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NDLEA intercepts Saudi-bound passenger at Kano airport with cannabis concealed inside a gallon of palm oil; alleged supplier arrested at airport car park.
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Agency uncovers 8.725 tonnes of powdered tramadol falsely declared as maize starch at Apapa Port, with street value put at over ₦6.98 billion.
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Another 55kg of Canadian Loud valued at ₦165 million is found hidden inside a Toyota Sienna shipped through Tincan Port.
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Nationwide raids yield tonnes of cannabis and hundreds of thousands of opioid pills, with suspects including an 85-year-old woman arrested in Edo.
October 18, (THEWILL) – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a Saudi Arabia-bound consignment of cannabis concealed inside a gallon of palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, as separate operations at Lagos ports uncovered powdered tramadol and Canadian Loud valued at more than ₦7 billion.
The seizures formed part of a series of intelligence-led interdiction operations across the country during which the anti-narcotics agency recovered tonnes of cannabis and large quantities of opioids in Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory.
Dozens of suspects were arrested in connection with the operations, including an 85-year-old woman apprehended during a raid in Edo State.
In a statement on Sunday, the Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said operatives at the Kano airport on Friday, October 16, intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, during the outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, through Addis Ababa.
According to the agency, a search of a gallon of palm oil in her possession revealed parcels of cannabis, otherwise known as skunk, weighing 511.75 grammes.
The NDLEA said Ahmad told investigators that the gallon had been given to her by her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya.
Operatives subsequently moved to the airport car park, where Yahaya was arrested.
₦6.98bn Powdered Tramadol Uncovered At Apapa Port
In what emerged as the biggest seizure disclosed by the agency in the latest operations, NDLEA operatives uncovered 8,725 kilogrammes of powdered tramadol at the APM Terminals in Apapa, Lagos.
The agency said the consignment, which originated from India, had been falsely declared as maize starch in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
It said the shipment was initially uncovered on October 2 during a joint examination involving its operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant agencies.
A confirmatory analysis conducted at the NDLEA forensic laboratory subsequently established that the substance was tramadol hydrochloride powder.
When the substance was separated from its concealment on Wednesday, October 14, the agency said it filled 349 bags with a gross weight of 8,725kg.
NDLEA estimated the street value of the consignment at more than ₦6.98 billion.
The seizure represents another major interception of pharmaceutical opioids at the nation’s seaports amid sustained efforts by authorities to disrupt the importation and distribution of illicit and controlled drugs.
Canadian Loud Hidden Inside Toyota Sienna
At the Tincan Port in Lagos, NDLEA officers also uncovered 55kg of Canadian Loud during the joint examination of a container on Monday, October 12.
According to the agency, the cannabis strain, valued at ₦165 million, was packed in brown cartons and concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle transported in a 40-foot container.
The two Lagos port seizures alone were valued by the agency at more than ₦7.14 billion.
Elsewhere in Lagos, operatives raided Idumota Market on Wednesday, October 14, and arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu.
NDLEA said 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly were recovered from her store.
A day later, operatives arrested two 35-year-old suspects in Mushin. Idowu Daudu was allegedly found with 59.95kg of skunk, while Ahmed Oniyinde was arrested with 61.23kg of the same substance.
In another intelligence-led operation on Thursday, October 15, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck travelling from the Trade Fair Market along Iyana Oba.
The loading manager, Tajudeen Adeduntan, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru, were arrested after a search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered 18,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide.
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85-Year-Old Arrested In Edo
In Edo State, operatives raided Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East Local Government Area between October 15 and 16, arresting six suspects and recovering various quantities of illicit drugs.
Among those arrested was 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, who the agency said was found with 179kg of skunk at Warake.
Others included Ayo Aigberadion, 53, allegedly found with 220.8kg of cannabis at Ewe/Irue; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852kg; and Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grammes.
Musa Mubid, 35, was allegedly caught with 2kg of cannabis, cannabis seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam, while Hope Okoro, also 35, was arrested with 237 grammes of Loud.
NDLEA Destroys 7.5 Tonnes Of Cannabis In Ondo
The anti-narcotics agency recorded another major operation in Ondo State, where its personnel, acting on intelligence, raided a cannabis farm in the Okemoro Isinbode Camp forest on Saturday, October 17.
NDLEA said 7,500kg of cannabis cultivated on three hectares of farmland was destroyed during the operation.
Five suspects — Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35 — were arrested.
Operatives also recovered 92 bags of skunk weighing 1,267kg, 11kg of cannabis seeds and 3kg of fresh stems, bringing the recovered exhibits to 1,281kg.
In a separate operation in Owo on Friday, October 16, operatives trailed 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi to a hideout at Ameyinti, where 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375kg were allegedly recovered.
Nearly 900,000 Opioid Pills Seized In Bauchi
In Bauchi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a Volkswagen Golf wagon at Ragwam village in Katagum Local Government Area on Wednesday, October 14.
The agency said 894,800 tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets were recovered from the vehicle, leading to the arrest of 35-year-old Shamsu Garba.
On the same day, operatives patrolling the Bauchi-Gombe road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265kg from an abandoned vehicle at Tudun Natsira village.
In Kano, Ali Abdullahi, 38, and Ibrahim Adamu, 23, were arrested along the Zaria-Kano road on Tuesday, October 13, with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg, according to the agency.
Another suspect, Murtala Dayyabu, 54, was arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato, on October 14, with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5.
More Tramadol, Cannabis Recovered In Kaduna, Abuja
NDLEA operatives also raided Kayimi village in Kaduna State, where Mohammed Sani, 48; Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29; and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, were arrested with 496.5kg of cannabis.
In another operation at Food Palace on Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, 39-year-old John Ayo David was arrested with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In Abuja, operatives arrested Odo Jonas Ejike, 42, in the Utako area on Saturday, October 17, after allegedly recovering 29,500 tramadol capsules from him.
Beyond interdiction and arrests, the NDLEA said its commands and formations continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign during the week, taking anti-drug messages to schools, workplaces, worship centres and communities across several states.
The campaign covered institutions in Oyo, Gombe, Lagos, Kogi, Cross River, Rivers, Edo and Kano states, among others.
Reacting to the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel of the Apapa, Tincan, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Kano and FCT commands for what he described as their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach.
Marwa urged officers across the country to sustain pressure on drug trafficking networks while maintaining the agency’s strategy of combining enforcement with drug-demand reduction and public sensitisation.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
