In a significant move against the trafficking of narcotics, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully intercepted a shipment containing 157,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup, valued at more than N1.1 billion.
This seizure is one of the largest recorded in recent months and forms part of a broader campaign by the agency to curtail the spread of illicit drugs across the country.
The interception occurred on Friday, June 13, at the Port Harcourt Ports located in Onne, Rivers State. The NDLEA, working in conjunction with the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant security agencies, carried out a joint examination of a container that had already been flagged for surveillance.
During this process, the opioid-laden cartons were discovered concealed behind 257 boxes of ceramic bathroom fixtures. Femi Babafemi, the spokesperson for the agency, disclosed the development in a press release issued on Sunday.
Beyond this high-profile interception, the agency also recorded a number of other drug-related arrests and seizures from various states in the past week. In Cross River State, operatives carried out a raid on a storehouse situated in Obereakai, within the Odukpani Local Government Area. There, a total of 2,687 kilograms of skunk was recovered, and three individuals were taken into custody during the operation.
In another operation that stemmed from actionable intelligence, NDLEA officers stationed in Bauchi State apprehended two individuals—identified as Iriemi Imonikhe, aged 49, and Sa’idu Ladan, aged 30—along the Bauchi-Jos highway. A total of 195 compressed blocks of skunk, weighing 287 kilograms, were discovered in the boot of their Toyota Camry sedan with plate number AKL 201 GG.
The agency’s marine operations unit also made a significant breakthrough on Wednesday, June 12, when a wooden vessel loaded with 14 large sacks of skunk, totaling 560 kilograms, was seized along the shoreline of Oniru Beach in Lagos State. This particular area has long been a point of concern for maritime drug smuggling routes.
At Muhammadu Buhari International Airport in Maiduguri, Borno State, officers intercepted two individuals—30-year-old Ishaku Abdullahi and 32-year-old Buba Usman—who had just arrived through the domestic terminal. The duo was found in possession of various illegal substances, including ecstasy pills and skunk. These were cleverly hidden in vibrant packages labeled “Lychee” and “Porro Legal,” indicating a likely attempt to disguise the illicit content as foreign consumer goods.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, June 14, officials at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) stopped a passenger bound for Italy. The suspect, Edobor Ambrose Ali, was about to board an Air France flight when NDLEA personnel, working together with aviation security agents from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), discovered 14,410 tablets of tramadol—specifically the 225mg and 200mg variants—neatly hidden inside winter coats.
During questioning, Ali, who resides in Italy, confessed to being hired to traffic the drugs abroad. He admitted that he was promised a fee of €2,000 for delivering the illicit items. His arrest highlights the continued use of unsuspecting passengers or willing traffickers who are enticed by foreign currency rewards to transport controlled substances.
In its statement, the NDLEA emphasized that these arrests and seizures were part of a broader, ongoing initiative to dismantle the complex and often well-coordinated drug networks operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of Nigerians by intensifying its crackdown on both traffickers and distributors of illegal drugs.
What you should know
This latest string of operations underscores the growing scale and sophistication of drug trafficking across Nigeria. The N1.1 billion worth of codeine syrup seized alone reflects the increasing demand for pharmaceutical opioids, while the variety of substances intercepted—from skunk to tramadol and ecstasy—shows that traffickers continue to diversify their operations.
The NDLEA’s proactive and intelligence-driven approach, along with collaboration from other security agencies, remains crucial in combating the evolving drug menace in the country.
