NDLEA Foils Drug Smuggling at Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, operatives uncovered consignments cleverly concealed in unusual items such as winter jackets, body cream containers, and carton walls.

Two shipments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, resulting in the arrest of suspects linked to the illegal exports.

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

A search of his luggage revealed 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg hidden inside containers of skin-lightening body cream. Investigations showed that the Milan-based suspect was to be paid in euros upon successful delivery of the drugs.

In a separate operation on March 18, another suspect, Christian Agbonhese, 38, was intercepted at the departure hall while trying to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.

NDLEA officers discovered a total of 28,470 opioid pills concealed in two large winter jackets, including tramadol and tapentadol tablets.

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The agency also recorded significant breakthroughs outside the airport. At a Lagos-based courier company, operatives intercepted parcels containing a potent strain of cannabis known as Loud, weighing 1kg and shipped from the United States.

Across the country, coordinated operations led to more arrests and seizures. In Kano State, two suspects were caught with over 198kg of skunk, while in Lagos, officers recovered 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a raid in the Otto, Ijora area.

Additional suspects were arrested on the Third Mainland Bridge with 8,380 bottles of the same substance.

In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from a residence in Akoko-Edo, while in the Federal Capital Territory, a commercial bus intercepted along the Gwagwalada Expressway was found to contain 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in compartments, leading to the arrest of the driver.

Further operations in Oyo, Kaduna, Taraba, and Adamawa states resulted in the seizure of hundreds of thousands of tramadol pills and large quantities of cannabis, with multiple suspects taken into custody.

The NDLEA noted that its commands nationwide also intensified sensitisation campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse initiative, targeting schools, worship centres, and local communities.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Buba Marwa, commended officers across various commands for their efforts and urged them to sustain the momentum in combating drug trafficking while maintaining a balanced approach to enforcement and public education.

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Ruth Achebe

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