The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, skunk, and opioids in a series of operations across the country, including Lagos, Adamawa, Zamfara, Edo, Taraba, and Yobe states. The agency said two returnees from Brazil excreted 116 wraps of narcotics at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while other suspects were caught concealing drugs in underwear, food packages, and even phone chargers.
One of the returnees, 46-year-old Ofoma Sunday, was arrested on September 16 on arrival from Brazil. A body scan revealed drug ingestion, and he later excreted 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.45kg. His arrest led to the capture of 55-year-old Nweke Jude Chuckwudi in Amuwo Odofin. Another passenger, Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu, was arrested on September 19 after excreting five wraps of cocaine, admitting he had lost some pellets in transit.
In another case, 38-year-old businesswoman Okolonkwo Ebere Theresa was caught on September 14 with 1.40kg of methamphetamine hidden in her butt pad underwear while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. Similarly, NDLEA operatives seized 2.30kg of methamphetamine concealed in food items at the Lagos airport export shed and intercepted seven phone chargers bound for New Zealand that contained 257 grams of cocaine.
Outside Lagos, large quantities of opioids and cannabis were recovered. In Adamawa, 233,800 tramadol pills were seized in three separate operations, including 196,000 abandoned in a vehicle and others hidden in homes. In Zamfara, 109 bags of skunk weighing over one ton were intercepted along Gummi–Daki Takwas Road, while in Edo, two cannabis farms covering four hectares with an estimated yield of 11,330kg were destroyed.
Additional seizures included 14,000 tramadol capsules in Yobe, three sacks of skunk weighing 25.5kg in Taraba, and 148kg of processed skunk in Edo. Several suspects were arrested during the raids, including drivers, couriers, and farmers.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised officers for the successful operations, describing the seizures as a “significant milestone” in dismantling drug cartels. He urged personnel nationwide to sustain enforcement and advocacy under the War Against Drug Abuse initiative to protect Nigerian youth and improve the country’s global image.
