NDLEA Intercepts Drugs Worth N3.4bn Hidden in Chocolate Tins, Arrests Several Suspects
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized over N3.42 billion worth of illicit drugs, including 3.5 million pills of opioids and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup, during operations across Lagos and Rivers states.
A major portion of the seizure was made during a joint inspection at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, where officers discovered two million pills of Tafrodol and the codeine bottles. In Lagos, 1.5 million pills were confiscated from a suspect, Olarenwaju Wahab, with the source traced to a residence in Victoria Garden City, Lekki.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, operatives intercepted 42 parcels of Canadian Loud cannabis disguised as chocolate, Milo, and kidney beans from a shipment arriving via British Airways from Canada. Three suspects, including Monsurat Ewawunmi Lawson, were arrested.
A separate arrest was made at the Lagos airport when a man, Bobby Morris Osas, was caught with over 8,000 pills of tramadol while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy.
In Kaduna, NDLEA agents intercepted a vehicle carrying 942 explosives along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway and arrested a suspect, Nura Sani Muhammad.
Further seizures and arrests were reported in Kano, Edo, Anambra, and Niger states. In Edo, 314,020 pills and other drugs were found in a bus from Onitsha. In Anambra, another suspect, Chinedu Eneh, was arrested with 50,400 tramadol capsules and other substances.
A major breakthrough came with the arrest of Dominic Chiegozie Obijiaku, a drug kingpin wanted for importing over 2.6 million tramadol pills seized in July 2024. His arrest followed 10 months of investigation.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the officers for their dedication and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to its war against drug abuse and trafficking nationwide.
