NDLEA Busts Major Drug Syndicate, Seizes ₦10 Billion Worth Of Narcotics In Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the interception of illicit drugs with an estimated street value exceeding ₦10 billion during a series of operations carried out at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Apapa seaport.

The agency said the coordinated operations led to the arrest of several suspected drug traffickers, the dismantling of alleged trafficking networks connected to international shipments, and the recovery of military-grade ammunition in Katsina and Kaduna states.

The NDLEA also intercepted a shipment of tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap that was reportedly destined for the United Kingdom.

The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.

One of the suspects arrested was 55-year-old businessman and Balogun Market clothing dealer, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, who allegedly attempted to export 3.30 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside the walls of cartons containing food items bound for the UK.

According to the agency, the cocaine was intercepted at the export section of the Lagos airport on July 22, while Onuigbo was arrested the following day, July 23.

The investigation initially resulted in the arrest of three cargo agents—Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed, and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim—who allegedly processed the shipment.

NDLEA said information obtained from the suspects later led investigators to Kenneth Okakpu, who allegedly delivered the consignment for export.

Further intelligence gathered during the investigation reportedly identified Onuigbo as the alleged coordinator of the trafficking syndicate. He was subsequently arrested while allegedly preparing to send another cocaine shipment to the United Kingdom.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 31-year-old entrepreneur Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo at her Surulere residence on July 21 after linking her to a consignment containing 2.80 kilograms of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.

The shipment had reportedly arrived from the United States on a United Airlines flight a day earlier.

At the Lagos airport, operatives also intercepted a large consignment of Tapentadol 250mg during a joint cargo examination conducted on July 24.

According to the agency, the shipment originated from India and arrived aboard an Air Maroc flight. NDLEA estimated the street value of the seized opioid at over ₦2.2 billion, noting that the operation was intelligence-driven.

The seizure followed another interception involving tramadol tablets concealed inside containers of black soap intended for shipment to the United Kingdom. The consignment was discovered at a courier company in Lagos on July 22.

At the Apapa seaport, NDLEA officers uncovered 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud weighing 2,388.5 kilograms during a joint examination of a shipping container on July 20.

The agency alleged that the drugs, valued at more than ₦7.1 billion, had been hidden inside three vehicles transported in the container.

Combined with the airport seizures, the estimated value of the confiscated narcotics exceeded ₦10 billion.

Outside Lagos, NDLEA operatives also recorded significant recoveries during separate operations in Katsina and Kaduna states.

In Katsina, a 30-year-old suspect identified as Mustapha Sani was arrested during a patrol in Baure, Safana Local Government Area, after officers allegedly recovered 323 rounds of ammunition, including 200 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and an additional 123 rounds of other ammunition.

Similarly, in Kaduna State, another suspect, 30-year-old Abubakar Amadu, was apprehended during a stop-and-search exercise at Jere along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.

Officers reportedly discovered 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed inside kegs of red palm oil. The agency said both suspects had been handed over to the appropriate security authorities for further investigation.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Ilushi community, Esan South-East Local Government Area, recovering 1,286 kilograms of cannabis and 86 kilograms of cannabis seeds.

During related operations, 45-year-old Ojore Onweze was allegedly arrested with 60 kilograms of skunk, while another suspect, George Agwumede, 30, was found in possession of 13 kilograms of the substance.

Beyond enforcement activities, the NDLEA said it continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign through awareness programmes in schools.

The outreach activities were conducted at Government Day Secondary School, Sabon Wuse, Niger State; Government Girls Secondary School, Shekara, Kano State; and Otto Primary School, Ebute Metta, Lagos.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations, particularly personnel from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, as well as commands at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Apapa, Edo, Kaduna, and Katsina.

Marwa also urged operatives across the country to sustain the agency’s balanced strategy of combining drug enforcement with public education in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse.