By Emiola Osifeso
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in bizarre forms, including frozen snails, giant electrical bulbs, and female clothes. The interceptions, which spanned Lagos, Adamawa, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Imo, and Enugu States, reflect the agency’s renewed offensive against international and local drug cartels.
The week-long crackdown, described by the NDLEA as one of the most diverse anti-narcotics operations in recent months, led to the arrest of several suspects, recovery of large quantities of controlled substances, and the destruction of massive cannabis farms across the southwest.
Illicit Drugs Bound for US, UK, and DRC Seized in Lagos
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, and a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives uncovered several ingenious attempts to export narcotics to three continents.
One of the intercepted consignments was disguised as frozen snails. The agency revealed that 48-year-old UK-based Public Health Assistant, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, was arrested on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at Terminal 2 of the MMIA. Her luggage, destined for Manchester on a Qatar Airways flight, contained 2,300 pills of Tramadol 225mg neatly concealed in the body of frozen snails to evade detection.
In another operation, cargo agent Boladale Riliwan was arrested on October 7 after presenting a carton containing 15 parcels of skunk cleverly hidden inside 10 giant rechargeable electrical bulbs for shipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). NDLEA’s vigilant export desk officers at the airport’s cargo shed intercepted the package after noticing unusual modifications in the bulbs.
A third interception within the week targeted a parcel at a courier company in Lagos intended for delivery to the United States. NDLEA officers discovered 810 pills of bromazepam hidden within female clothing. The syndicate behind this shipment is currently under investigation, with the agency working with international partners to trace the network.
38,270 Tramadol Pills Hidden in Car Tyre and Door Compartments in Adamawa
Beyond Lagos, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa State arrested Bello Buba at an agency checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South Local Government Area. Buba was attempting to smuggle 38,270 Tramadol tablets concealed in the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of his Honda Civic.
According to preliminary findings, the consignment originated from Benin Republic, with the suspect driving across borders in a bid to distribute the drugs within northern Nigeria.
Massive Cannabis Plantations Destroyed in Ekiti and Ondo
In what NDLEA officials describe as a major blow to cannabis syndicates operating in the southwest, operatives destroyed 53,250 kilograms of skunk cultivated on 21.3 hectares of farmland in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti State. The operation, which spanned October 12–13, also led to the arrest of three young suspects, Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20) caught guarding the farm. The officers also recovered 70 bags of processed cannabis weighing 1,140 kilograms during the raid.
Just days earlier, NDLEA personnel in Ondo State stormed the Aponmu Forest Reserve in Akure, where they set ablaze a 6.96-hectare cannabis plantation containing 17,400 kilograms of skunk. Commanding officers described the discovery as one of the largest in recent months, emphasizing that cannabis cultivation in forest reserves continues to threaten local biodiversity and water resources.
More Arrests and Seizures Across States
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested four suspects, Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30) with 596 kilograms of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora. On the same day, Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25) were caught with 273 kilograms of the same substance in Odo-Oyan, Igangan.
Elsewhere, in Ogun State, operatives apprehended Joseph Andrew with 88 kilograms of skunk at Ona–Imeko, while in Imo State, Festus Udoh (42) was caught along the Onitsha–Owerri Road transporting 13,000 pills of opioids.
In Enugu State, NDLEA stormed Umuogbo–Agu village, where 74.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a store owned by Joseph Chukwujamaa on Saturday, October 18.
80,000 Bottles of Codeine-based Syrup Intercepted in Lagos Port
In another significant bust, NDLEA operatives at the Apapa Port in Lagos, working jointly with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted a container from India carrying 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
The container had been on the agency’s watchlist following intelligence received from international partners. Upon examination on Tuesday, October 14, the shipment was confirmed to contain the banned opioid syrup, often abused among young people in Nigeria.
Similarly, on October 18, NDLEA officers recovered 11 bags of skunk weighing 117 kilograms from the residence of Ramoni Olukowi in the Mushin area of Lagos, further underscoring the agency’s clampdown on urban drug networks supplying street-level dealers.
Nationwide WADA Campaigns in Schools and Communities
In line with its commitment to a balanced approach combining law enforcement with prevention, NDLEA commands across states intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization programs.
Throughout the past week, officers visited schools, religious centers, and community institutions to educate Nigerians about the dangers of drug abuse.
Among the participating institutions were: Commercial Grammar School, Igogo (Ekiti); Junior Secondary Smart School, Kasarawa (Katsina); Government Technical College, Ahoada (Rivers); Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Babura (Jigawa); Attarbiyya Community College, Hotoro (Kano); Fuga Mixed Secondary School, Fuga (Edo); St. Cyprian Special Science School, Nsukka (Enugu); and St. Peter’s College, Olomore (Abeokuta, Ogun State).
NDLEA officers used interactive sessions, counseling programs, and audiovisual materials to sensitize students, teachers, and parents on identifying early signs of addiction and how to seek help.
Marwa Commends Officers, Urges Continued Vigilance
While commending the officers and men involved in the week’s operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), applauded their professionalism and dedication in frustrating drug traffickers’ attempts to compromise Nigeria’s borders and communities.
“These operations demonstrate the agency’s unwavering commitment to dismantling drug networks operating locally and internationally,” Marwa said.
“I urge all commands and formations to sustain the momentum, ensuring that traffickers have no breathing space in our country. We must continue our balanced strategy combining strong enforcement with prevention and rehabilitation to protect the health, economy, and security of Nigeria.”
Marwa also reiterated that NDLEA remains committed to deepening partnerships with international counterparts such as the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), UK National Crime Agency (NCA), and Interpol, among others, to curb the global drug trade that affects Nigeria both as a transit and consumer nation.
As NDLEA continues its nationwide operations, these latest interceptions reaffirm the agency’s growing intelligence capacity, inter-agency collaboration, and readiness to confront traffickers’ increasingly sophisticated smuggling tactics.
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