News
NDLEA Cracks Down on Drug Trafficking: Intercepts N16.6B Opioids at Seaports, 2,760kg Illicit Drugs in Lagos
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted some hard drugs concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States and some parts of Europe.
Announcing this in a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the consignments were seized by the anti-narcotics agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.
“A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 12th October 2024 and additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna during a follow up operation in Enugu on Thursday 24th October. A cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest,” he said.
“Not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in Lagos on Thursday 24th October.
“In the same vein, a total of Twenty Six Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (26,250,000) pills of tramadol as well as Five Hundred and Eight Thousand Four Hundred (508,400) bottles of codeine based syrup worth Sixteen Billion Six Hundred and Eighty Three Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N16, 683, 800,000) in street value were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state between Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October.”
See the full statement below:
NDLEA intercepts US, Europe-bound drugs in shoe soles, N16.6b opioids at seaports
. Recovers 2,760kg illicit consignments in Lagos shrine, underground storage in Lekki
Consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos and three courier companies in the state.
A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 12th October 2024 and additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna during a follow up operation in Enugu on Thursday 24th October. A cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.
Not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in Lagos on Thursday 24th October.
In the same vein, a total of Twenty Six Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (26,250,000) pills of tramadol as well as Five Hundred and Eight Thousand Four Hundred (508,400) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Sixteen Billion Six Hundred and Eighty Three Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N16, 683, 800,000) in street value were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state between Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October.
Other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700kg at Tincan and Onne respectively, while 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28kg were also recovered from a container that arrived the Lagos port from Canada. A suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested at Ago Palace area of Okota Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure while a bribe of N10million paid NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Friday 25th October raided the Igbo – Igunuko shrine, located at the Alfa Beach, Ajah, where jumbo bags of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,760kg were recovered and two suspects: Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun arrested. Another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin was also arrested same day with 770kg of the same psychoactive substance along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
A total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, rohypnol and diazepam as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from the underground storage a suspect, Muhammad Warnos Abdullahi dug in his bedroom at Marwa Coastal road, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos when NDLEA officers raided his home on Friday 25th October. The suspect dug the illicit drug storage deep in his room, covered it with padlocked iron slate, a rug and then put his mattress on top to avoid detection.
In Plateau, a suspect Fadan Bindom, 39, was arrested at Pilgani village in possession of 65.85kg cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol, while another suspect Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei – Rayfield Jos South LGA with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam and pentazocine injection on Wednesday 23rd October.
A major distributor of illicit drugs in FCT Abuja, Umar Muhammed, 40, was on Monday 21st October nabbed following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5kg cannabis linked to him at Wuse market park.
In Edo state, NDLEA operatives recovered 640kg cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu junction, Irrua, Esan Central LGA and arrested a suspect, Austin Oruamen, 27, while another suspect Adereti Kazeem, 35, was nabbed with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133kg at Obalayan, Ile-Ife, Osun state on Thursday 24th October.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Tambuwal, Sokoto; St. Mary College, Awka, Anambra state; Prime Rose Model Private College, Saki, Oyo state; Community Model Arabic College, Malumfashi, Katsina state; Community Junior Secondary School, Rumuomasi, Rivers state; and WADA advocacy lecture to Rugar Alhaji Manu Unguwan Sullubawa, Gombi, Adamawa state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Osun, Plateau and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 27th October 2024
An 18-year-old landlord, Similoluwa Akande, has been arraigned before an Akungba-Akoko Magistrate’s Court in Ondo State for allegedly setting fire to a tenant’s belongings valued at N898,000.
Akande was docked on a four-count charge bordering on felony following the incident, which reportedly occurred on August 19, 2026, at Okusa in Akungba-Akoko.
According to the police prosecutor, Olasunkanmi Boboye, the defendant allegedly set ablaze property belonging to his tenant, Aseluwa Ezekiel.
The items destroyed included a bed, bed frame, clothes, carpet, gas cylinder, travelling box, shoes, curtains, rods and cash.
The prosecutor told the court that the burnt items were valued at N898,000, while some official documents were also reportedly destroyed in the fire.
Boboye said the alleged offences contravened Section 249(D) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.
He was not represented by legal counsel and informed the court that he had health challenges.
Presiding Magistrate Kolapo Kolawole granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 and adjourned the matter until September 9, 2026, for hearing.
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), on Thursday said terrorists are using motorcycles given to Nigerians as palliatives to wreak havoc across the country.
He, however, advised the state governors and lawmakers to stop giving motorcycles as palliatives, arguing that some of the motorcycles eventually end up in the hands of terrorists to facilitate and enhance their nefarious activities.
Musa, who stated this when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said efforts are being made to curb terrorism and the operational challenges confronting the country’s security forces.
“We try to appeal to even governors to stop giving motorcycles out as palliatives. Because these motorcycles are the same ones that still end up with these terrorist
“Even if you have to give, don’t give them the big capacity motorcycles; give them the small capacity ones that they won’t be able to use to run around, because that gives them leverage. They can easily enter and then disappear,” he said.
The minister also warned that motorcycles distributed through constituency projects and other palliative programmes by lawmakers could find their way back to bandits and terrorists.
“Those bikes… before you know it, they’re already back to the bandits, and that’s what they’re using. So we must stop that,” he said.
According to him, security agencies had identified illegal markets and motor parks as channels through which terrorists move arms and ammunition into areas where they operate.
“What we realise from experience is they establish illegal markets or illicit motor parks. They go to those motor parks; that’s where they move arms and ammunition into those areas,” he added.
The defence minister also called for greater involvement of local governments in tackling insecurity, saying their proximity to communities gives them an advantage in identifying criminals and preventing crime.
“We must allow our local governments to work. Failure of local government is what is aggravating what we’re dealing with, and if we want a better solution, a quick fix, our local governments must work.
“Crime and development are local. If every local government chairman is dealing with criminals within his locality, it’s easier to manage them than leaving it to the state or to the federal,” he said.
Musa said local government chairmen should hold regular security meetings and report developments in their areas.
He further urged state and local authorities to strengthen monitoring of markets, motor parks and other locations through which drugs, weapons and ammunition could be moved.
“If we’re able to make sure that we man all the markets, all the motor parks, all these areas where drugs, weapons, ammunition move, it will make it difficult for them,” he added.
At least 49 inmates at the Medium Security Correctional Centre in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, have reportedly spent more than a decade awaiting trial, exposing the human cost of prolonged detention and delays in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
Sources inside the facility disclosed the figure during an inspection of the centre on September 2, 2026.
According to the sources, some of the inmates have spent more than 10 years in custody without their cases being concluded, while others allegedly face difficulties because their case files are unavailable.
Some inmates were reportedly arrested over relatively minor offences, while sources also alleged that others were detained in connection with activism.
The prolonged detention means that people who have not been convicted of the offences for which they were arrested have spent years behind bars.
The situation is particularly troubling because the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time.
The problem is not entirely new at Eket.
In 2023, the Akwa Ibom Chief Judge released six inmates from the facility after finding that they had spent between two and three years in custody without case files to charge them to court.
In March 2026, another eight inmates were released from Eket during a jail-delivery exercise conducted by the state Chief Judge, with the judiciary citing compassionate grounds and want of prosecution.
The Chief Judge has repeatedly raised concerns about prolonged detention.
In March, Justice Ekaete Fabian-Obot said it was unconstitutional to keep suspects in custody for prolonged periods without trial.
The problem is compounded by the centre’s transportation crisis.
Transport
The Officer-in-Charge, Chief Superintendent of Corrections Samuel Bassey, recently said over 40 awaiting-trial inmates were unable to attend court because the centre had no functional vehicles.
The revelation was made on Tuesday, September 1, when a forum of Eket Federal Constituency media professionals (EFCMP), led by its Chairman, Comrade Enobong Nsimah, visited the facility to assess its condition and explore ways of providing pro bono legal assistance to inmates without legal representation.
Akwa
He said some inmates transferred to the facility from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area as far back as 2023 had never appeared in court because of the transportation problem.
“About 46 inmates are unable to appear in court. It is difficult to take the inmates to court without having operational vehicles,” Bassey said.
According to him, more than 40 inmates on the awaiting-trial list have remained at the centre because there is no functional escort van or other vehicle to transport them to court. He also disclosed that the roofs of the sections housing inmates had deteriorated badly and leaked heavily whenever it rained, leaving the inmates soaked.
In 2025, the Chief Judge released inmates across the state’s correctional facilities on grounds including excessive remand periods, lack of diligent prosecution, missing case files, health conditions and compassionate considerations. The judiciary said some inmates had already spent longer in custody than the maximum sentence they might have received if convicted.
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