NDLEA Intercepts N6.5bn Opioids at Ports, Arrests British Nationals, Destroys 77,000kg Cannabis in Major Drug Busts Across Nigeria

Summary

• NDLEA seizes N6.5 billion worth of opioids and codeine at Lagos and Rivers ports, uncovering over 6 million pills and 332,000 bottles of syrup.
• Two British nationals and two Nigerians arrested for smuggling cannabis through Lagos airport; over N3.8 million, hard drugs, and devices recovered.
• 77,000kg of skunk destroyed in Cross River and Edo forests; 4,000kg seized in Nasarawa with multiple arrests nationwide.
• WADA advocacy campaigns intensify in schools and communities across Nigeria to combat drug abuse.

Abuja, Nigeria — In a sweeping crackdown on drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted opioids and codeine-based cough syrup worth N6.52 billion at major Nigerian seaports, arrested two British nationals in Lagos for cannabis smuggling, and destroyed over 77,000 kilograms of skunk in forests across Cross River and Edo States.

The seizures were made following intelligence-led operations targeting newly identified drug smuggling routes. At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Rivers State, NDLEA operatives discovered six million pills of opioids and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup hidden in two containers between May 19 and 20. Another 170,000 bottles were found in a container at the Apapa Port, Lagos, on May 22.

Meanwhile, two British men, Mhizha Jordan Alexander Tatendra and Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon, alongside Nigerians Shonowo Oluwaseun Imole and Ofuoma Omokaro Ayobami, were caught with 92 bags of Loud (a strong cannabis strain) weighing 51.10kg at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Alexander, who flew in from Doha, led the operatives to the car park where his accomplices awaited with an SUV. A subsequent search of their Lekki apartment uncovered over N3.8 million in cash, gadgets, and nitrous oxide canisters.

In further operations, NDLEA agents destroyed massive skunk plantations across 30 hectares in Cross River, recovering 200kg, and another 1,957.5kg in Edo State forests. In Nasarawa, two men were arrested transporting 4,000kg of skunk hidden under wood in a lorry, while another was caught with 154.5kg in Karu.

Additional arrests and seizures occurred in Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe, Niger, and Lagos. Among them, 97kg of compressed cannabis was found in a Mercedes Benz in Niger; various drugs including cocaine and methamphetamine were seized during raids in Lekki.

Alongside enforcement, the NDLEA sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization across the country, engaging students in secondary schools and traditional leaders in Lagos.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s officers across the states for balancing drug supply reduction efforts with public education on drug demand reduction.