The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized 2,248,000 tramadol pills worth N3.99 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Spokesman Femi Babafemi said on Sunday that operatives arrested an Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, along with three Nigerians—Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode, and Bakare Korede Muheebb.
The shipment, disguised as multivitamins, arrived from Delhi, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on September 8. NDLEA officers tracked the consignment and intercepted a clearing agent with two drivers while they tried to move it out of the airport on September 11. A follow-up raid led to Kumar’s arrest as he attempted to claim the drugs.
READ ALSO: Two Drug Kingpins Jailed as NDLEA Records Major Court Victory
On September 7, operatives caught Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi at MMIA with 900 grams of skunk hidden in crayfish. He was on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. His confession exposed Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna, who had arranged the trip. NDLEA also found 200 grams of the same drug in Uchenna’s hotel room.
At Tincan Port, officials discovered 161 parcels of Canadian Loud (81.7 kg) and 1.2 kg of hashish oil inside a 40 ft container of vehicle parts from Canada. They arrested John Ochigbo and Okeke Kingsley.
In a related operation, officers tracked 65 kg of Loud to Third Mainland Bridge, seized it from a Toyota Sienna, and arrested the driver, Abubakar Ibrahim.
Two courier companies in Lagos were also busted. Six grams of meth hidden in a picture frame were bound for Gabon, while 1.1 kg of Loud packed inside video players was headed to the UAE.
In Ikorodu, NDLEA shut down a factory producing skuchies, a drink made from cannabis and black currant. Officers recovered 6,029 bottles of the drink and 4,232 kg of cannabis and arrested the factory manager, Joy Awosika, along with Akeem Oriola.
Nationwide Operations
- In Abuja, operatives arrested a dispatch rider, Godsplan Vincent, with 50.7 g of cocaine and 66 g of Loud.
- In Kano, they seized 100,000 tramadol pills, 196 litres of Akuskura, and 34.1 kg of skunk in separate busts.
- In Anambra, NDLEA arrested Nzube and Ebele Onyedika with 13.9 kg of meth and 5.3 kg of skunk.
- In Yobe, Mohammed Auwal was caught with 22.1 kg of cannabis.
- In Ogun, three traffickers were arrested with 394 kg of skunk in a joint operation with police and vigilantes.
READ ALSO: NAFDAC Seizes ₦1.2bn Worth of Fake Malaria Drugs in Lagos
In Edo State, NDLEA destroyed 16,966 kg of cannabis on a 6.7-hectare farm in Ovia South West LGA. Officers also seized 1,176 kg of processed cannabis and arrested four suspects.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the officers and urged them to intensify both enforcement and community sensitisation under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.
