Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted multiple attempts by drug trafficking organizations to smuggle illicit substances, including methamphetamine and opioids, to Europe, recording a series of arrests and seizures across the country.
The agency disclosed that desperate efforts to export drugs concealed in cartons, winter jackets, and body cream containers were intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, and at a courier firm in Lagos.
Two consignments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.
One of them, Friday Ehianuka, 37, was apprehended on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome with 2,698 pills of tramadol (225mg) concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream.
During interrogation, Ehianuka, a Milan-based resident, confessed he was to be paid in euros upon successful delivery of the drugs.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted another suspect, Christian Agbonhese, at the airport on Wednesday, March 18, while attempting to board a Lufthansa Airlines flight to Milan.
A search of his luggage revealed 28,470 pills of opioids, including tramadol and tapentadol, hidden in two large winter jackets.
At a Lagos courier facility, officials intercepted two parcels containing 1kg of a potent cannabis strain known as “Loud,” shipped from the United States. Another attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed within carton walls to New Zealand was also foiled.
In Kano State, NDLEA operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, and Uche Johnson Festus, 47, at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.
A major haul of 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup was recovered from a store in the Otto area of Ijora, Lagos, following a raid on March 18.
On the same day, two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested on the Third Mainland Bridge while transporting 8,380 bottles of the substance.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.
Similarly, in Abuja, a commercial bus intercepted along the Gwagwalada Expressway led to the discovery of 91,840 tramadol pills concealed within its body compartments, with the driver, Aminu Ali, taken into custody.
In Oyo State, Bankole Bari was arrested in Ibarapa Local Government Area with 71.2kg of skunk smuggled into Nigeria through the Oyan River.
Further seizures were recorded in Kaduna, where 586,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered from Lawal Anas along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, while 7,290 tramadol tablets were seized from Musa Shuaibu at the same location.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives intercepted Aliyu Adamu along the Takum-Jalingo highway with 77,660 tramadol capsules en route to Gombe.
In Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola. Those arrested include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, and Usman Abdulrahim.
Meanwhile, the agency said its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign continued across schools and communities, including institutions in Ebonyi, Lagos, Cross River, Enugu, and Ogun states.
Commending the efforts of officers across various commands, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, urged personnel to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control through enforcement and public enlightenment.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
