From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a Saudi Arabia-bound consignment of cannabis concealed in a gallon of palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, while a joint examination at the Apapa Port in Lagos uncovered 8,725 kilogrammes of powdered tramadol with a street value of over N6.98 billion.
In a series of operations across the country, the agency also seized thousands of kilogrammes of cannabis and large quantities of opioids in Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Kano and Kaduna states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), arresting dozens of suspects, including an 85-year-old grandmother.
Kano Airport
On Friday, 16 October 2026, NDLEA officers intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, during outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa. A gallon of palm oil in her luggage contained parcels of cannabis weighing 511.75 grams.
Fatimah told operatives the gallon was given to her by her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, who was promptly arrested at the airport car park.
At the APM Terminals in Apapa, a joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on 2 October uncovered a large shipment from India declared as maize starch. A confirmatory test at the NDLEA forensic laboratory showed the cargo to be tramadol hydrochloride powder.
When the consignment was separated from its concealment on Wednesday, 14 October, it came to 349 bags with a gross weight of 8,725kg, valued at over N6.98 billion.
At the Tincan Port on Monday, 12 October, officers conducting a joint examination of a 40-foot container discovered 55kg of Canadian Loud, worth N165 million. The drugs, packed in brown cartons, were hidden inside a Toyota Sienna conveyed in the container.
On Wednesday, 14 October, operatives raided Idumota Market and arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu, recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store. On Thursday, 15 October, two 35-year-old men were arrested in Mushin: Idowu Daudu with 59.95kg of skunk, and Ahmed Oniyinde with 61.23kg of the same substance. The same day, acting on credible intelligence, operatives intercepted a truck from Trade Fair Market along Iyana Oba. Its loading manager, Tajudeen Adeduntan, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru, were arrested. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 18,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide.
Between 15 and 16 October, operatives raided Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East Local Government Area and arrested six suspects: Grace Ehimeka, 85, with 179kg of skunk at Warake; Ayo Aigberadion, 53, with 220.8kg at Ewe/Irue; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852kg; Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grams; Musa Mubid, 35, with 2kg of cannabis, cannabis seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam; and Hope Okoro, 35, with 237 grams of Loud.
On Saturday, 17 October, operatives raided a cannabis farm in Okemoro Isinbode camp forest and destroyed 7,500kg of skunk on three hectares.
Five suspects were arrested: Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35. Exhibits recovered included 92 bags of skunk weighing 1,267kg, 11kg of cannabis seeds and 3kg of fresh stems, a total of 1,281kg.
In the Owo area, operatives on Friday, 16 October, trailed 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi to his hideout in Ameyinti and recovered 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375kg. Not less than 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets were recovered from Shamsu Garba, 35, when officers intercepted his Volkswagen Golf wagon at Ragwam village, Katagum LGA, on Wednesday, 14 October. The same day, operatives on patrol along the Bauchi-Gombe Road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265kg from an abandoned car at Tudun Natsira village. Two suspects, Ali Abdullahi, 38, and Ibrahim Adamu, 23, were arrested on Tuesday, 13 October, along the Zaria-Kano Road with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg. On Wednesday, 14 October, Murtala Dayyabu, 54, was arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato, with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5. A raid on Kayimi village in Kaduna State led to the arrest of Mohammed Sani, 48, Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29, and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, with 496.5kg of cannabis. In a separate raid at Food Palace, Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, John Ayo David, 39, was arrested with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg. In Abuja, a 42-year-old suspect, Odo Jonas Ejike, was arrested at Utako on Saturday, 17 October, with 29,500 capsules of tramadol. Meanwhile, commands of the agency continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the past week.
Lectures were delivered at Nawar-Ur-Deen High School, Ogboro, Oyo State; Elf Junior Secondary School, Bojude, Gombe; Cherubim and Seraphim Primary School, Ikorodu, Lagos; Harmony Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi; Government Secondary School, Ikot Ansa, Calabar; Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology, Port Harcourt; Mesh International School, Benin City; and Abu Hanifa Academy, Kano Municipal, among others. The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (rtd), commended officers and men of the Apapa, Tincan, MAKIA, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Kano and FCT commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach. He urged them and their colleagues nationwide to sustain the onslaught against drug trafficking networks while maintaining the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, according to a statement by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
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