NDLEA intercepts N5bn cannabis, codeine consignments at Lagos, Onne ports

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted cannabis and codeine-based cough syrup consignments worth more than N5 billion at the Apapa, Tincan Island in Lagos and Onne ports in Rivers State.

The agency also stated that it destroyed 20,234kg of cannabis on a farm in Osun State and arrested suspects in separate operations in Lagos, Kogi, Edo and Plateau states.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

At Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies, searched two containers from Bangkok, Thailand, following intelligence.

One of the containers contained 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg. The agency valued the consignment at N372 million.

The cannabis was concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons.

At Onne Port in Rivers State, operatives searched two containers placed on the NDLEA watchlist.

They recovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg from a travelling bag and found three vehicles — a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra — in one of the containers.

The second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg.

The NDLEA explained that the container originated from India and was shipped to Saudi Arabia, but details of its original route were allegedly altered to avoid detection.

The agency valued the two consignments at Onne at N833.2 million.

The seizure follows an earlier major interception at the port.

In April, the NDLEA said a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt granted an interim forfeiture order over 17 containers containing illicit opioids worth N33.69 billion intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne.

The agency stated that the containers contained millions of opioid pills and nearly 2.5 million bottles of codeine-based syrup.

Tincan port

At Tincan Island Port in Lagos, operatives on 29 September searched a container from Montreal, Canada, following intelligence.

They recovered 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg.

The cannabis was concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags.

The NDLEA valued the consignment at more than N3.8 billion.

Weeks earlier, the agency had announced the seizure of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75kg at the same port. It valued that consignment at N1.81 billion.

4.8kg cocaine seized at Lagos airport

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, who allegedly attempted to smuggle 4.8kg of cocaine to Milan, Italy.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect was arrested on 27 September at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 before boarding a Royal Air Maroc flight.

Sixteen parcels of cocaine were allegedly concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, while another 195 wraps were hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.

The substance tested positive for cocaine and weighed 4.8kg.

According to the NDLEA, Mr Tunde told investigators that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine hidden in the shoes and that the consignment in the bags was meant for his partner in Italy.

He also reportedly said he raised the money from compensation he received after sustaining an injury while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.

20,234kg cannabis destroyed in Osun

In Osun State, operatives destroyed 20,234kg of skunk found on an 8.0936-hectare cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area.

The operation was carried out on 30 September.

In Plateau State, operatives arrested 41-year-old Agbo Dennis in the West of Mines area of Jos North on 29 September after recovering 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.

The agency also arrested Idris Mohammed Kurra, 47, who had allegedly been on the run since December 2020 after jumping bail in a drug trafficking case.

Mr Kurra was standing trial before the Federal High Court in Jos over the alleged possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk.

Other arrests and seizures

In Lagos, operatives on 28 September raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, and recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo at Ladipo Spare Parts Market on 30 September.

The NDLEA said 61 grammes of Colorado and 24 grammes of methamphetamine were recovered from him. The drugs were allegedly concealed in an energy drink bottle and sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

On the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, operatives intercepted a Lagos-Abuja-bound bus on 30 September and found two sachets containing 1kg of methamphetamine in a waybill package.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, in Utako, Abuja.

In Edo State, operatives raided the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere community in Ovia North-East Local Government Area on 2 October and recovered 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.

The same day, they arrested 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59 grammes of Loud, 12 grammes of Colorado, 19 grammes of tramadol, 16 grammes of methamphetamine, four grammes of Swinol and four grammes of Molly.

READ ALSO: NDLEA intercepts N3bn opioids at Lagos airport, arrests man with 72 cocaine wraps

N301bn drugs destroyed in Lagos

The NDLEA said last month that it destroyed 329,865.585kg of assorted illicit drugs worth N301.06 billion following court orders.

According to the agency, 246,864.535kg of the drugs had been seized by its Lagos Strategic Command between April 2025 and May 2026.

The destroyed drugs included cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Canadian Loud, skunk, tramadol, codeine syrup and other opioids.

In his remarks, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Buba Marwa, commended the officers involved in the operations.

He urged them to sustain efforts against drug trafficking while maintaining what he described as a balanced approach to drug control.