Crime
NDLEA intercepts 1,274 parcels of Cocaine, Colorado in Lagos, 5.6m opioid pills in Kano
NDLEA intercepts 1,274 parcels of Cocaine, Colorado in Lagos, 5.6m opioid pills in Kano
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted at the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, large consignments of cocaine and Colorado, a strong strain of cannabis, concealed in containerized household items and vehicles imported from Durban, South Africa and Canada.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday said the success of the exercise followed coordinated intelligence and months of tracking of the containers by three special units of NDLEA, stating that the illicit drugs along with arms, ammunition and sundry military effects were seized during joint examination of the three containers by the agency’s officers and their counterparts from Customs Service and other security agencies between last Thursday and Friday.
He revealed that some of the agency’s sniffer dogs were also deployed to help identify locations and bags used in concealing the illicit items, noting that
some of the items recovered from the containers include: 1, 274 parcels of cocaine and Colorado with a total weight of 884.09 kilogrammes; four pistols; 197 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 49 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 275 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition and sundry military personnel effects as well as some chemicals in kegs.
He noted that with the exception of 32.5 kilogrammes shipment of Colorado that came in used vehicles from Canada, the rest of the items were found in two of three containers that arrived the Tincan port from Durban, South Africa onboard a vessel marked MSC RESILIENT III and discharged on new year eve, 31st December 2023.
Babafemi also disclosed that a suspect linked to one of the containers, UACU 5348336, bearing the 32.5 kilogrammes Colorado, 41-year-old Akara Chibugo has already been tracked and arrested by NDLEA operatives.
He added that two vigilant freight agents and a traveler escaped being roped into two drug trafficking operations by desperate traffickers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, stating that the two agents were contacted to send a consignment of 1 kilogramme cannabis concealed in tins of beverage to Turkey but chose to submit the shipment to NDLEA checks before processing the cargo, noting that the psychoactive substance was later discovered to be hidden inside the shipment.
Babafemi said, in the same vein, NDLEA operatives last Friday arrested one Okosun Punitt, the consignee of a consignment of tramadol concealed in a bottle of dietary supplements, which a staff of Pathfinder International Ltd, Ajuzieogu Ugochukwu attempted sending through an intending passenger on Ibom Air to Accra, Ghana at the Lagos airport last Tuesday. He added that a video of the face-off between the passenger and Ajuzieogu later went viral after the vigilant passenger suspected the consignment contained illicit substances.
He said both Ajuzieogu and the exhibit were later transferred to NDLEA last Thursday by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for investigation, stating that preliminary findings by NDLEA showed the parcel contained 50 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in a bottle of dietary supplements, and that a follow up operation by the agency led to the arrest of Okosun upon his return from Ghana on Friday, whom in his statement confirmed ownership of the drug.
Babafemi said in Kano, no fewer than 5,653,000 pills of tramadol 250mg and exol-5 were seized from three suspects, noting that while Nura Abdullahi, 38, and Tahir Mukhtar, 42, were arrested at Bacharawa area of Kano with 5,404,000 pills of tramadol 250mg on Sunday 14th January, Yusuf Umar, 50, was nabbed at Gadar Tamburawa area of the state the previous day Saturday 13th January with 249,000 tablets of exol-5 by NDLEA operatives.
In Lagos, two suspects: Ali Abubakar and Murtala Sani were arrested at Ojodu Berger area last Tuesday with 110kg of cannabis sativa while 69 kilogrammes of same substance was recovered from the hideout of a fleeing suspect in Akerele, Surulere same day. Babafemi added that not less than 2, 800 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup were recovered by NDLEA officers last Saturday during a raid operation at Aleita, FCT, Abuja, stating that the suspected owner of the consignment, Jideofor Sochima is still at large.
Babafemi said while a total of 100,510 pills of opioids were seized from a suspect, Ike Emmanuel, 35, last Thursday at Dan-Anacha village, Taraba state, NDLEA operatives in Abia state arrested 60-year-old Joseph Isiguzoro, as well as Emmanuel Eugene and Malachi Ndu in parts of Abia state with 34,200 pills of opioids. He said Isiguzoro was equally found with monetary exhibit totalling N2,885,045 only.
Babafemi disclosed that the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign of the agency continued in equal measure in schools, markets, worship places and others across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of Tincan, MMIA, Abia, Taraba, Lagos, Kano and FCT Commands as well as the special units of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across all formations of the agency to remain focused and resolute in pursuit of the corporate goal of winning the war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
He further charged them to maintain the flame of collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders in their areas of responsibility.
NDLEA intercepts 1,274 parcels of Cocaine, Colorado in Lagos, 5.6m opioid pills in Kano
NDLEA Arrests Octogenarians, Others in Sweeping Nationwide Drug Crackdown
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two elderly men—aged 83 and 78—alongside several other suspects in a series of coordinated anti-drug operations across multiple states, underscoring the agency’s intensified offensive against illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
The agency disclosed that the 83-year-old suspect, Pa John Ofiel, was apprehended last Tuesday during a raid at Samek area by Powerline in Abia State.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, said acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA officers stormed the location and recovered 700 grammes of skunk—a potent strain of cannabis—packaged in retail sachets. The octogenarian was said to have told investigators he had previously worked as a shoemaker before venturing into drug distribution.
In a similar operation in Ekiti State, 78-year-old, Ogunjobi Samuel was arrested last Thursday at his residence in Ilupeju-Ekiti. Officers recovered 350 grammes of skunk from the suspect, reinforcing concerns about the widening demographic of individuals involved in drug peddling.
The crackdown extended to Oyo State, where two women—Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31—were arrested in connection with the seizure of 1.925 kilogrammes of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant. King was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while Opeyemi was later arrested at Iwo Road, Ibadan, attempting to receive the consignment.
In a separate operation in Ibadan, NDLEA operatives captured a long-wanted drug dealer, Taofik Adeyemi, 49, who had reportedly evaded arrest for months. He was apprehended on Saturday alongside an associate, Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, at his residence in Erunmu area.
Babafemi said recovered items from the clampdown included 3.085 kilogrammes of skunk and a Toyota Camry vehicle. He noted that two of Adeyemi’s alleged accomplices had earlier been arrested in December 2025 and are currently facing prosecution.
Further arrests were recorded in Osun State, where a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was caught transporting 7 kilogrammes of skunk and 15 grammes of methamphetamine along the Ibadan-Ilesha Expressway. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged consignment’s owner, Ifedayo Babalola, in Ilesha.
In the North-East, NDLEA operatives intercepted large quantities of opioids in Borno State. A 27-year-old suspect, Yahaya Shehu, was arrested with 76,440 pills of Tramadol, while another operation led to the seizure of 14,000 capsules and the arrest of additional suspects linked to the consignment.
The agency also reported a major seizure along the Abuja-Jos highway in Kaduna State, where 290 kilogrammes of compressed cannabis were recovered from two suspects. In Jigawa State, nearly 50,000 capsules of Tramadol were seized from two individuals during a roadside operation in Hadejia.
In Lagos State, NDLEA operatives raided Awolowo Market in Mushin, recovering a staggering 740 kilogrammes of skunk.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, a suspect identified as Godstime Godspower was arrested with various illicit substances, including Loud, Colorado, Tramadol, Swinol, and methamphetamine.
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said it has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign nationwide, targeting schools, religious centres, and community groups. Recent outreach programmes were held in Niger, Kano, Anambra, Lagos, and Edo states, among others.
Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the affected states for their operational successes. He emphasised the importance of maintaining a balance between aggressive drug supply reduction and sustained public education to curb demand.
The latest arrests, particularly those involving elderly suspects, highlight a troubling trend in Nigeria’s drug trade, where individuals across age groups are increasingly being drawn into illicit activities amid ongoing enforcement pressure.
NDLEA Arrests Octogenarians, Others in Sweeping Nationwide Drug Crackdown
Two Impostors in Military Uniform Arrested in Kaduna
By Zagazola Makama
Security operatives have arrested two suspected impostors dressed in military camouflage in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Security sources said the suspects were apprehended at about 8:30 p.m. on May 1 along Bauchi Street in Kafanchan town by troops of Sector 7 of Operation Safe Haven.
The sources disclosed that the suspects were found wearing military uniforms, raising suspicion among security personnel on patrol.
According to the sources, preliminary investigation revealed that the camouflage uniforms allegedly belonged to a serving soldier who is currently on pass.
They added that the suspects are in custody for further investigation to determine their motives and possible involvement in criminal activities.
The sources further said efforts are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure appropriate action is taken.
Two Impostors in Military Uniform Arrested in Kaduna
Troops Raid Another Suspected IPOB/ESN Hideout in Enugu Forest
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have conducted an offensive operation in a forest in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, targeting suspected hideouts of IPOB/ESN members.
Security sources said the operation was carried out at about 6:30 a.m. on May 1 by troops comprising personnel of 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion and 197 Special Forces Battalion, supported by air components, police operatives and forest guards.
The sources disclosed that the operation followed intelligence reports on suspected activities of IPOB/ESN elements around the Ajali Forest.
According to the sources, troops located and searched a cave believed to have been used by the group as a holding facility for kidnapped victims.
They, however, noted that nothing of significant value was recovered during the search.
The sources added that security operations are ongoing in the area to sustain pressure on criminal elements and prevent further activities within the forest.
Troops Raid Another Suspected IPOB/ESN Hideout in Enugu Forest
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