- Two more suspects were later apprehended on the Third Mainland Bridge with additional consignments
- They also prevented the export of methamphetamine hidden within carton walls and destined for New Zealand
- He reportedly confessed that he had been promised payment in euros if the drugs were successfully delivered
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have seized large quantities of illicit drugs, including opioids, cannabis, and methamphetamine, during operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a courier facility in Lagos.
The agency revealed that traffickers attempted to disguise the drugs in everyday items such as body cream containers, winter jackets, and carton panels to evade detection, Eko Hot Blog reports.
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According to a statement issued by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, two suspects traveling to Italy were arrested in separate incidents. One of them, Friday Ehianuka, was stopped while preparing to board a flight to Rome with thousands of tramadol pills hidden inside skin-lightening cream containers.
He reportedly confessed that he had been promised payment in euros if the drugs were successfully delivered.
In a similar case days earlier, Christian Agbonhese was intercepted on his way to Milan. A search of his belongings uncovered more than 28,000 pills of tramadol and tapentadol concealed in winter clothing.
Beyond the airport, NDLEA officers uncovered additional smuggling attempts. At a Lagos courier centre, they intercepted a shipment of a strong cannabis strain known as “Loud,” which had been sent from the United States.
They also prevented the export of methamphetamine hidden within carton walls and destined for New Zealand.
The crackdown extended across several states. In Kano, two individuals were arrested with nearly 200 kilograms of skunk. In Lagos, operatives raided a storage site in Ijora, recovering over 21,000 bottles of codeine syrup.
Two more suspects were later apprehended on the Third Mainland Bridge with additional consignments.
In Edo State, authorities discovered close to 100 kilograms of skunk in a residential building, while in Abuja, a commercial bus was intercepted along the Gwagwalada expressway carrying over 91,000 tramadol pills concealed within its panels, leading to the driver’s arrest.
Further operations in Oyo, Kaduna, and Taraba states exposed the scale of the illegal trade. Along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, officials recovered more than half a million opioid pills, while another suspect in Taraba was caught transporting tens of thousands of tramadol capsules.
In Adamawa, a follow-up operation led to the arrest of six suspects linked to an 82.8kg tramadol consignment earlier discovered in a truck in Yola, highlighting the agency’s intelligence-led approach.
Alongside enforcement, the NDLEA continues its public awareness drive through the War Against Drug Abuse campaign, educating students, teachers, and communities about the risks of substance abuse.
The agency’s chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised officers involved in the operations and stressed the importance of combining strict enforcement with sustained education efforts to curb drug abuse.
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