…as agency Recovers 38,270 Tramadol Pills in Adamawa, Destroys 70,650kg Skunk in Ekiti, Ondo Forests
By Nkechi Eze
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted several consignments of illicit drugs cleverly concealed in frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and female clothing destined for the United States, United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The successful operations were carried out at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, and a courier company in Lagos, as the Agency intensifies its offensive against drug trafficking across Nigeria’s borders.
In a statement released by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Mr. Femi Babafemi, it was disclosed that at least two suspects have been arrested in connection with the thwarted export attempts.
According to the statement, one of the suspects, a cargo agent identified as Boladale Riliwan, was apprehended on October 7, 2025, following the discovery of 15 parcels of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden inside 10 giant rechargeable electrical bulbs he had presented for airfreight to the Democratic Republic of Congo at the export shed of the Lagos airport.
In a similar operation, NDLEA operatives at the MMIA arrested 48-year-old UK-based Public Health Assistant, Mrs. Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, on October 12, 2025, at the departure hall of Terminal 2, Ikeja, after discovering 2,300 pills of Tramadol 225mg concealed inside frozen snails in her luggage while she was preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester, United Kingdom.
Also, on October 16, NDLEA officers intercepted a parcel containing 810 pills of Bromazepam ingeniously hidden in female clothes destined for the United States at a courier company in Lagos.
The drug war further extended to the northern region, where operatives in Adamawa State intercepted a suspect, Bello Buba, at an NDLEA checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South Local Government Area, with 38,270 pills of Tramadol concealed inside the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of his Honda Civic car. Investigations revealed that the consignment had been transported all the way from Benin Republic into Nigeria.
Meanwhile, in Ekiti and Ondo States, NDLEA operatives recorded massive breakthroughs in their sustained raids on cannabis plantations and storage facilities. In Ekiti State, officers destroyed 53,250 kilograms of skunk on a 21.3-hectare cannabis farm in Ilawe Ekiti, while 70 bags of the same substance weighing 1,140 kilograms were recovered during the two-day operation that lasted from October 12 to 13, 2025. Arrested suspects included Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20).
Similarly, in Ondo State, operatives stormed the Aponmu Forest Reserve in Akure on October 12, where they destroyed 17,400 kilograms of skunk cultivated on 6.96 hectares of land.
Further enforcement activities in Oyo State led to the arrest of Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30), who were found with 596 kilograms of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora. Additionally, Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25) were apprehended at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, with 273 kilograms of the same substance on October 16.
In Ogun State, operatives arrested Joseph Andrew with 88 kilograms of skunk on October 15 at Ona-Imeko, while another suspect, Festus Udoh (42), was nabbed along the Onitsha–Owerri Road in Imo State with 13,000 opioid pills. In Enugu State, 74.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the store of a suspect, Joseph Chukwujamaa, at Umuogbo-Agu Village on October 18.
Similarly, in Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 11 bags of skunk weighing 117 kilograms from the base of a suspect, Ramoni Olukowi, in the Mushin area on October 18. In a major breakthrough at the Apapa Port, a container previously placed under watch by the NDLEA was jointly examined by the Agency, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies on October 14, leading to the seizure of 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup imported from India.
Beyond arrests and seizures, NDLEA formations across the country sustained their nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns, engaging students, workers, and faith-based groups through sensitization lectures. The week’s outreach covered schools such as Commercial Grammar School, Igogo Ekiti; Junior Secondary Smart School, Kasarawa, Katsina; Government Technical College, Ahoada, Rivers; Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Yau Danzabuwa, Babura, Jigawa; Attarbiyya Community College, Hotoro, Kano; Fuga Mixed Secondary School, Edo; St. Cyprian Special Science School, Nsukka, Enugu; and St. Peter’s College, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State, among others.
While commending the gallant officers and men of the MMIA, Apapa, Lagos, Ekiti, Adamawa, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Ondo, and Imo Commands for their outstanding performance, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retired), urged them and their colleagues nationwide to remain steadfast and unrelenting in the Agency’s balanced approach to drug control — combining rigorous enforcement with robust public education.
“Our operations must continue to send a clear message to drug cartels that there is no hiding place for illicit traffickers in or outside our borders. At the same time, our advocacy efforts must persist in enlightening communities about the dangers of drug abuse,” Marwa charged.
The NDLEA boss reaffirmed the Agency’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation from the twin threats of drug abuse and trafficking, emphasizing that every seizure and every arrest represents a vital step in defending public health, national security, and Nigeria’s future generations.
