The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered several attempts to smuggle illegal drugs into and out of Nigeria, with traffickers hiding the substances in wooden sofas, snack cartons, detergent packs and women’s headwear.
The agency also intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol, an opioid valued at about ₦900 million, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
According to the NDLEA, the drugs arrived from Ahmedabad, India, on November 3 aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight. The consignment consisted of 11 cartons packed inside two wooden structures.
After suspecting irregularities in the shipment’s declaration, officers placed it under surveillance before conducting a joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on Friday.
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The inspection revealed that 10 cartons contained Tapentadol tablets, while the remaining carton contained paracetamol tablets used to conceal the illegal consignment.
In another operation on November 4, NDLEA operatives intercepted 32 parcels of Loud cannabis weighing 16.15 kilogrammes inside two wooden sofas shipped from Houston, Texas, in the United States.
The shipment arrived at the airport aboard a Turkish Airlines flight. A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who came to clear the consignment, was arrested.
Further investigations led to the arrest of a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, Oyo State, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, who arrived to collect the package on November 6.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun, had sent him to pick up the shipment.
In a separate interception, operatives discovered nine parcels of illegal substances hidden inside two cartons of snacks labelled “Michael Tea Guy” and shipped from the United Kingdom.
The shipment arrived aboard an Air Peace flight on October 23. Two parcels contained 1.20 kilogrammes of cannabis, while laboratory tests showed that the remaining seven contained chemicals used in producing Colorado, a synthetic cannabis.
A 51-year-old freight agent, Afolabi Abiodun Wale, was arrested while attempting to clear the package.
The agency subsequently discovered two additional cartons addressed to the same recipient. The packages arrived from the UK aboard an Allied Air flight.
A sting operation carried out between October 26 and 28 resulted in the arrest of another 51-year-old suspect, Okwuite Benjamin Ojone, when he came to collect the four cartons.
A search revealed three parcels weighing 3.30 kilogrammes hidden inside detergent packs, alongside 11 plastic bottles containing mostly liquid substances weighing 16.25 kilogrammes.
The combined seizures from the shipments included 1.20 kilogrammes of cannabis and 28.65 kilogrammes of chemicals used in manufacturing synthetic cannabis.
The NDLEA also intercepted 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg concealed inside women’s headwear in a shipment from Asaba, Delta State, destined for the United Kingdom.
Two other consignments containing 20 Tramadol capsules from Benin City and 96 capsules from Sapele, Delta State, were also intercepted. The drugs had been hidden inside vitamin C containers.
At courier companies in Lagos, officers recovered 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes from two cartons scheduled for shipment to the UK on November 3.
The agency further disclosed that it intercepted 296 tablets of Swinol being transported from Lagos to Australia on October 30.
Drug Raids Across States
Beyond the airport and courier operations, the NDLEA reported several arrests and drug seizures during raids and checkpoint operations across different states.
In Ondo State, operatives recovered 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818 kilogrammes during a raid along Odofin Road, Uso, on November 6.
Officers also destroyed a one-hectare cannabis farm in Board Forest, recovering another 242 kilogrammes of the substance. A 36-year-old suspect, Itoro Linus Akpan, was arrested during the operation.
In Ekiti State, a 53-year-old man, Agbo Paul Peter, was arrested at Osin Forest, Osin-Ekiti, on November 5, with 216 kilogrammes of cannabis and cannabis seeds.
In Edo State, operatives intercepted a Volkswagen Golf car carrying 19 bags of cannabis weighing 201 kilogrammes along Auchi-Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.
The driver, Abdulmumid Isah, 39, and his passenger, Danako Godwin, 25, were arrested.
Three other suspects were arrested during a raid on a drug joint along Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City. They were identified as Emmanuel Sunday, 25; Samuel Bala, 31; and Loveth Momodu, 20.
The operatives recovered different quantities of Colorado, Loud and cannabis from the location.
In Taraba State, three suspects were arrested within two days at an NDLEA checkpoint in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area, with 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255 kilogrammes.
The suspects were identified as Ibrahim Abdullahi, 45; Kabiru Usman, 25; and Babangida Babayo, 32.
In Enugu State, officers arrested a 57-year-old man, Celestine Uzochukwu Ejiakor, at a checkpoint in Eke Obinagu on November 3. He was allegedly carrying 44 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.5 kilogrammes.
Another suspect, Godwin Shaapera, 40, was arrested at a checkpoint in Ugwuoba with 24,000 Tramadol capsules weighing 13.4 kilogrammes and 697 grammes of ketamine.
In Delta State, operatives arrested Edugua Othuke, 30, at Ozoro in Isoko North Local Government Area on October 31.
The suspect was found with 10.54 kilogrammes of skunk, 9.4 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and 4.3 grammes of methamphetamine.
Another suspect, Akpofure Tobore, 34, was arrested at Upper Agbarho, Ughelli, on November 4, with quantities of skunk, Tramadol, Rohypnol and nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas.
In Lagos State, operatives arrested a 32-year-old man, Abubakar Ali, at Marine Beach, Apapa, on November 6.
The agency said officers discovered a small store allegedly constructed inside the sitting room of his apartment, where different drugs were kept.
The recovered substances included 1.06 kilogrammes of Tramadol 250mg, 1.27 kilogrammes of Tramadol 225mg, 400 grammes of pregabalin capsules, 355 grammes of diazepam, 200 millilitres of codeine and 6.07 kilogrammes of cannabis.
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