By Lizzy Chirkpi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 8,725 kilogrammes of powdered tramadol valued at more than ₦6.98 billion at Apapa Port, Lagos, following an attempt to smuggle the consignment into Nigeria from India under the guise of maize starch.
The seizure was part of a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking that also led to the recovery of 55 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud worth ₦165 million at Tin Can Port, the interception of hundreds of thousands of opioid tablets and the arrest of an 85-year-old woman allegedly found with 179 kilogrammes of cannabis in Edo State.
The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, October 18, 2026, and signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, the tramadol consignment was discovered on October 2 during a joint examination involving NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies at the APM Terminals in Apapa.
The process of separating the drugs from their concealment was completed on Wednesday, October 14, yielding 349 bags of tramadol hydrochloride powder weighing 8,725 kilogrammes.
In another operation at Tin Can Port, Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 55 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, valued at ₦165 million.
The drugs were allegedly concealed in brown cartons inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle shipped in a 40-foot container. The seizure was made on Monday, October 12, during a joint examination involving Customs and other relevant agencies.
The agency also intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Friday, October 16, while she was being cleared for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa.
A search reportedly uncovered 511.75 grammes of cannabis concealed in a gallon of palm oil.
Ahmad allegedly told investigators that her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, had given her the gallon. Yahaya was subsequently arrested at the airport car park.
85-year-old woman arrested in Edo
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested six suspects during raids in Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East Local Government Area between October 15 and 16.
The suspects included 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, who was allegedly found with 179 kilogrammes of cannabis in Warake.
Others were Ayo Aigberadion, 53, arrested with 220.8 kilogrammes of cannabis; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852 kilogrammes; Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grammes; Musa Mubid, 35, with two kilogrammes of cannabis, cannabis seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam; and Hope Okoro, 35, with 237 grammes of Canadian Loud.
The arrests were part of operations targeting cannabis storage and distribution networks in the state.
NDLEA raids Lagos drug markets
In Lagos, operatives raided Idumota Market on Wednesday, October 14, arresting Elizabeth Chidera Kalu and recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store.
Two men, Idowu Daudu and Ahmed Oniyinde, both 35, were also arrested in Mushin on Thursday, October 15, with 59.95 kilogrammes and 61.23 kilogrammes of cannabis, respectively.
In a separate operation along Iyana Oba, officers intercepted a truck allegedly conveying illicit drugs from Trade Fair Market.
A search reportedly uncovered 18,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide.
The suspects arrested were identified as Tajudeen Adeduntan, a loading manager, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru.
7,500kg cannabis destroyed in Ondo
In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 7,500 kilogrammes of cannabis cultivated on three hectares of farmland at Okemoro Isinbode Camp Forest on Saturday, October 17, following intelligence reports.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation: Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35.
Officers also recovered 92 bags of cannabis weighing 1,267 kilogrammes, 11 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and three kilogrammes of fresh cannabis stems, bringing the total weight of the recovered exhibits to 1,281 kilogrammes.
In a separate operation at Ameyinti in Owo on Friday, October 16, operatives reportedly recovered 375 kilogrammes of cannabis from the hideout of 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi.
Nearly 895,000 pills intercepted in Bauchi
In Bauchi State, NDLEA operatives intercepted 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets from Shamsu Garba, 35, at Ragwam village in Katagum Local Government Area.
Garba was arrested on Wednesday, October 14, after officers intercepted his Volkswagen Golf wagon.
On the same day, officers patrolling the Bauchi-Gombe Road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265 kilogrammes from an abandoned vehicle at Tudun Natsira village.
In Kano State, 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.
Another suspect, Murtala Dayyabu, 54, was arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato, on Wednesday, October 14, with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5.
More arrests in Kaduna, Abuja
In Kaduna State, a raid at Kayimi village led to the arrest of Mohammed Sani, 48; Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29; and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, with 496.5 kilogrammes of cannabis.
A separate operation at Food Palace, Ali Akilu Road, resulted in the arrest of John Ayo David, 39, with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In Abuja, operatives arrested 42-year-old Odo Jonas Ejike at Utako on Saturday, October 17, with 29,500 tramadol capsules.
The agency said its operations were complemented by public sensitisation programmes under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative.
The campaign featured enlightenment lectures in schools and other institutions across Oyo, Gombe, Lagos, Kogi, Cross River, Rivers, Edo and Kano states, among other locations.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel of the Apapa, Tin Can, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Kano and Federal Capital Territory commands for what he described as professional and intelligence-led operations.
Marwa urged officers nationwide to sustain the crackdown on drug trafficking networks while maintaining a balanced approach that combines enforcement with drug prevention and demand-reduction efforts.