NDLEA Intercepts Heroin, Cocaine, Meth, Skunk in Nationwide Crackdown

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reported a series of major seizures across the country, including at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and in several northern states, as part of its ongoing war against illicit drug trafficking.

According to a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the operations uncovered heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, skunk, tramadol, and other opioids concealed in unusual ways, ranging from body ingestion to food packages and even phone chargers.

Airport Arrests
On September 16, NDLEA operatives arrested 46-year-old Ofoma Sunday on arrival from Brazil via Addis Ababa. A body scan revealed he had ingested narcotics, and under medical supervision he excreted 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.45kg. A follow-up sting led to the arrest of 55-year-old Nweke Jude Chuckwudi, who was waiting in a Lagos hotel to take delivery of the consignment.

Three days later, another Brazilian returnee, Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu, was stopped at MMIA. He had inserted nine wraps of cocaine into his body, though only five remained after transit through Addis Ababa.

In a separate case, a 38-year-old businesswoman, Okolonkwo Ebere Theresa, was arrested on September 14 while trying to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. Aviation security officials found 1.40kg of methamphetamine concealed in her butt pad underwear.

NDLEA also intercepted food shipments at the airport’s export shed containing 2.3kg of methamphetamine bound for Hong Kong. The courier, 59-year-old Umelo Ifeanyi Venatus, was detained. On September 18, operatives discovered 257 grams of cocaine hidden inside phone chargers destined for New Zealand.

Raids Beyond Lagos
In Adamawa, over 233,000 tramadol pills were recovered in three different operations, including nearly 196,000 pills abandoned in a vehicle. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.

In Zamfara, a joint operation with Community Protection Guards intercepted a Mitsubishi Canter truck carrying 109 bags of skunk weighing more than one ton. The driver, 40-year-old Hammed Danladi Aliyu, was arrested.

Similar busts were recorded in Yobe, Taraba, and Edo. In Edo State, NDLEA agents destroyed over four hectares of cannabis farms estimated to yield 11,330kg, while also confiscating 148kg of processed skunk. Three suspects were taken into custody.

War Against Drug Abuse Campaign
The agency noted that alongside enforcement, its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation programme is ongoing in schools, religious centres, and workplaces across multiple states, including Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Benue, and Kano.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised officers for the coordinated successes, describing the seizures as “a significant milestone” in the effort to weaken drug cartels targeting Nigeria’s youth.

“These arrests and seizures demonstrate our commitment to dismantling criminal networks and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of drugs,” Marwa said, urging personnel to sustain the momentum.