NDLEA Seizes Illicit Drugs Worth Over ₦10 Billion in Lagos
By Sabiu Abdullahi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted illicit drugs with a combined estimated street value of more than ₦10 billion in separate operations in Lagos.
The agency disclosed that its operatives recovered 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, valued at over ₦7.1 billion during an inspection at the Apapa Seaport.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the consignment weighed 2,388.5 kilogrammes and had been concealed inside three vehicles.
Babafemi added that the seizure took place during a joint examination of a shipment on Monday.
The agency also said it confiscated 2.24 million pills of 250mg Tapentadol, estimated to be worth more than ₦2.2 billion, from a consignment that arrived from India aboard an Air Maroc flight on Friday.
“The exercise was based on an intelligence received and processed by NDLEA,” the statement reads.
“This came on the heels of the seizure of a consignment of tramadol buried in containers of black soap heading to the UK.
“The shipment was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday 22nd July.”
The agency also announced the arrest of a 55-year-old businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, over an attempt to export 3.30 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in cartons of food items destined for the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, Chinedu, who trades in clothing at Balogun Market on Lagos Island, was arrested on Thursday, July 23, after the cocaine shipment had been intercepted a day earlier at the export section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
“Onuigbo was arrested on Thursday 23rd July 2026 following the interception of his cocaine consignment at the export shed of the Lagos airport the previous day, Wednesday 22nd July by NDLEA operatives.
“In the course of investigation, three cargo agents: Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina; Adeleke Abiola Taoheed; and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim, who handled the shipment were initially arrested leading to the arrest Kenneth Okakpu who delivered the consignment to the cargo agents for shipment to the UK.
“Okakpu’s arrest provided the lead to identifying Onuigbo as the kingpin behind the syndicate and his eventual arrest while attempting to send another consignment of cocaine to the UK.”
The NDLEA further disclosed that its operatives arrested 31-year-old entrepreneur Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo in Surulere, Lagos, after seizing 2.80 kilogrammes of Loud allegedly imported from the United States.
The agency also reported the arrest of two suspects found with military-grade ammunition in Katsina State and along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
“A suspect Mustapha Sani, 30, was on Wednesday 22nd July nabbed by NDLEA operatives on patrol operation at Baure, Safana LGA, Katsina state where he was found with 323 rounds of military grade ammunition consisting of 200 pieces of 7.62mm and 123 rounds of 7.6mm neatly concealed,” the statement added.
“Another suspect, Abubakar Amadu, 30, was arrested by NDLEA officers on stop and search operation at Jere, along Abuja-Kaduna expressway where he was found with 73 RLA, 7.62mm ammunition hidden in kegs of red oil. Both suspects have been handed over to the relevant security agency for further investigation.”
Babafemi said the agency has continued to expand its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through awareness programmes in schools, places of worship and workplaces.
The statement added that NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) as well as personnel in the MMIA, Apapa, Edo, Kaduna and Katsina commands for the successful operations. He also urged commands across the country to sustain the agency’s strategy of combining enforcement with drug demand reduction initiatives.