By Lizzy Chirkpi
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted illicit drug consignments worth more than N5 billion at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports, including large shipments of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup.
The seizures followed months of intelligence gathering and tracking of the consignments from their ports of origin, according to the agency.
At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, subjected two containers originating from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 per cent examination in collaboration with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders.
The operation led to the discovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg and valued at N372 million.
The drugs were allegedly concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons.
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two containers placed on the NDLEA watchlist were subjected to a joint examination following intelligence on their movement.
Operatives discovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg, concealed in a travelling bag and inside three of five vehicles shipped in one of the containers.
The vehicles were identified as a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra.
The second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg.
The NDLEA said the container originated from India and was initially shipped to Saudi Arabia, where details about its origin were allegedly deleted in an attempt to evade detection.
The combined street value of the Loud and codeine consignments intercepted at Onne was estimated at N833.2 million.
The agency also recorded another major seizure at the Tincan Island Port.
On Tuesday, September 29, NDLEA officers, working with Customs and other security agencies, examined a watchlisted container shipped from Montreal, Canada.
The search uncovered 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg.
The drugs were concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags in the container.
The consignment was valued at more than N3.8 billion.
The latest seizures bring the value of major drug consignments intercepted at the Lagos and Rivers ports during the period to well over N5 billion.
Italy-Bound Businessman Arrested With 4.8kg Cocaine
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have arrested a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, with 4.80kg of cocaine allegedly concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Tunde, who was reportedly travelling to Milan, Italy, was intercepted on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight.
According to the NDLEA, a detailed search of his luggage led to the discovery of 16 parcels of a white powdery substance concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes.
Another 195 wraps of the substance were allegedly hidden inside the railings of four travelling bags.
The substance was subsequently tested and confirmed to be cocaine, with a combined weight of 4.80kg.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while another portion hidden in the bags was allegedly intended for delivery to his business partner in Italy.
He also claimed that the money used to purchase the drugs came from compensation he received following an industrial injury sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
NDLEA Destroys 20,234kg Cannabis Farm in Osun
Beyond the seizures at the ports and airport, the NDLEA also carried out a major operation against cannabis cultivation in Osun State.
Operatives destroyed 20,234kg of skunk discovered on a cannabis farm covering 8.0936 hectares in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area.
The operation was conducted on Wednesday, September 30.
The agency said the destruction was part of its continued efforts to dismantle the local supply chain feeding Nigeria’s illicit drug market.
In Plateau State, NDLEA operatives arrested 41-year-old Agbo Dennis on Tuesday, September 29, at West of Mines in Jos North.
The suspect was arrested after operatives recovered 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives uncovered a major stash of pharmaceutical opioids in Lagos.
On Monday, September 28, officers raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, where they recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol.
The agency subsequently arrested 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo in a follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market on Wednesday, September 30.
The arrest followed the seizure of 61 grammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24 grammes of methamphetamine concealed inside a bottle of an energy drink and sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus travelling along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Methamphetamine Seized on Kogi-Abuja Route
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja highway intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus on Wednesday, September 30.
A search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered two sachets containing 1kg of methamphetamine, concealed as a waybill consignment.
A follow-up investigation led officers to the alleged owner of the package, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, who was arrested at Utako in Abuja.
NDLEA Raids Edo Residence
In Edo State, operatives raided the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere community in Ovia North-East Local Government Area on Friday, October 2.
The search reportedly resulted in the recovery of 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.
On the same day, another suspect, 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael, was arrested at Auchi Bypass in Benin City.
The NDLEA said 59 grammes of Loud, 12 grammes of Colorado, 19 grammes of tramadol, 16 grammes of methamphetamine, 4 grammes of Swinol and 4 grammes of Molly were recovered from him.
In another significant development, the NDLEA arrested a 47-year-old fugitive, Idris Mohammed Kurra, six years after he allegedly jumped bail.
Kurra was arrested on Tuesday, September 29. He had been facing trial before the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, over alleged possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk.
According to the agency, the court granted him bail in December 2020, after which he allegedly disappeared and remained at large for six years.
His eventual arrest, the NDLEA said, demonstrates its determination to track down suspects who evade prosecution.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations across the various commands.
Marwa particularly praised the operatives at the MMIA, Apapa, Tincan Island, Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Lagos, Edo, Plateau and Osun commands for what he described as professional and intelligence-driven operations.
He urged officers nationwide to maintain pressure on drug trafficking networks while sustaining the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
“The latest seizures demonstrate the importance of intelligence-led operations and effective collaboration among security agencies,” Marwa said.
He added that the agency would continue to target both international trafficking networks responsible for importing illicit drugs and local actors involved in their distribution.
“We must sustain the momentum and ensure that drug trafficking networks have no safe haven, whether at the ports, airports, highways or within our communities,” he said.
NDLEA Intensifies Drug Awareness Campaign
Meanwhile, the agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued across the country during the week.
The sensitisation activities targeted schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
Among the institutions reached were St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oji, Enugu; Olu-Odo Primary School, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Tsamiya, Kano; Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti; and Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi State.
The NDLEA said the combination of enforcement, prosecution, drug supply reduction and public sensitisation remained central to its strategy to tackle drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria.