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Apapa Port Raid: NDLEA Dismantles Smuggling Ring, Seizes 14 Containers
Between June 2024 and June 2025, NDLEA’s Apapa Seaport Command intercepted 14 containers filled with assorted psychotropic drugs.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The Assistant Commander-General of Narcotics, Buba Wakawa, announced the seizure of 14 containers loaded with various psychotropic substances by the NDLEA’s Apapa Seaport Command between June 2024 and June 2025. He made this known during the grand finale of the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Apapa, Lagos, themed “Evidence Is Clear: Invest in Prevention, Break the Cycle.”
Wakawa disclosed that the intercepted drugs included 774,635 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 36,652,460 tramadol tablets, weighing a total of 131,920.7kg (about 132 tonnes).
UN Day Highlights Drug Abuse Crisis
Speaking on the significance of the event, Wakawa said it aligns with the UN’s global campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of drug abuse and trafficking, and their impact on public health, economic development, and national security.
He cited a 2018 UN survey, which reported that 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15–64 had used drugs in the preceding year, calling this a clear sign of the nation’s drug crisis.
Tackling Drug Infiltration in Maritime Corridors
He noted that while the maritime sector is crucial for national wealth and global trade, it is also being exploited for trafficking illicit drugs. Wakawa warned against allowing ports to become safe havens for such criminal activities.
He emphasized that drug import/export networks must be dismantled, stating that substances like tramadol and codeine-based syrups, originally meant for medical use, are being misused for recreation and performance enhancement.
“We will not tolerate this in our maritime corridors,” he asserted.
War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) Hits the Ports
Wakawa said the event was part of NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, championed by NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, aimed at targeting vulnerable groups like youths and schoolchildren, especially within port communities.
The engagement brought together schools, students, regulatory agencies, sister security forces, terminal operators, and maritime stakeholders in a united stand against drug trafficking.
A Call for Collective Action
Wakawa concluded with a strong message:
“No one is insulated from the insecurity driven by illicit drugs. Drug dealers are ready to risk everything for profit, but we must break this cycle. Together, we can win this war.”
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