Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted consignments of cannabis, popularly known as Loud, and codeine-based cough syrup with a combined street value of more than ₦5 billion at the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos and the Onne Port in Rivers State.
The seizures followed months of intelligence gathering and tracking of suspected drug shipments, according to the NDLEA.
The agency also announced the arrest of a 38-year-old businessman allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.8 kilogrammes of cocaine to Milan, Italy, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The latest operations form part of a wider series of seizures and arrests conducted by NDLEA commands across Lagos, Rivers, Osun, Plateau, Kogi and Edo states.
Main Development
The NDLEA said its operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted several containers that had been placed under surveillance following intelligence about their movements.
At Apapa Port in Lagos, officers subjected two containers shipped from Bangkok, Thailand, to a full examination.
According to the agency, a search of one container led to the discovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124 kilogrammes.
The NDLEA valued the consignment at ₦372 million in street value.
The cannabis was allegedly concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons, according to the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
The seizure was one of several interceptions recorded at Nigeria’s major ports as the agency intensified its monitoring of international drug-trafficking routes.
Major Seizure at Tin Can Island Port
A significantly larger cannabis consignment was intercepted at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The NDLEA said its operatives on September 29 examined a watch-listed container shipped from Montreal, Canada.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5 kilogrammes.
The agency put the street value of the consignment at more than ₦3.8 billion.
The cannabis was allegedly concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags contained in the shipment.
The Tin Can Island seizure represents the largest component of the more than ₦5 billion haul announced by the agency.
The operation also demonstrates the importance of intelligence-led inspection at seaports, where traffickers can attempt to conceal controlled substances within legitimate commercial cargo and vehicles.
Codeine Shipment Intercepted at Onne Port
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, NDLEA operatives searched two containers that had been placed on the agency’s watchlist.
One container reportedly contained 40 packs of Loud weighing 22 kilogrammes, concealed in a travelling bag and among vehicles shipped in the container.
The vehicles identified by the agency included a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra.
A second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, with a total weight of 16,440 kilogrammes.
The NDLEA said the container had travelled from India to Saudi Arabia and that information relating to its origin was allegedly altered or removed before the shipment proceeded.
The agency valued the Loud and codeine consignments recovered at Onne at ₦833.2 million.
The allegation about the alteration of shipment information remains an account provided by the NDLEA and should not be treated as a court-established finding unless supported by subsequent judicial proceedings.
NDLEA Arrests Suspected Cocaine Courier at Lagos Airport
The port seizures were announced alongside a separate cocaine interception at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The NDLEA said its operatives arrested a 38-year-old businessman, identified as Philip Tunde, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 on September 27.
He was allegedly preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
According to the agency, officers recovered 16 parcels of cocaine concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes.
Another 195 wraps were allegedly hidden inside the railings of four travelling bags.
The substances reportedly tested positive for cocaine and had a combined weight of 4.8 kilogrammes.
The NDLEA said the suspect told investigators that he paid ₦16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the substance hidden in the bags was intended for delivery to a partner in Italy.
Those statements are attributed to the suspect through the NDLEA and have not been presented in the available report as findings of a court.
Wider Nationwide Drug Operations
The latest port seizures were part of a broader set of operations reported by the NDLEA across several states.
In Osun State, the agency said its operatives destroyed 20,234 kilogrammes of skunk cannabis discovered on an 8.0936-hectare cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area.
The operation took place on September 30.
The destruction of the plantation represents another component of the agency’s strategy, which combines interdiction of drug shipments with the disruption of domestic cultivation.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers reportedly recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol from an unoccupied compound at Ago Palace.
A follow-up operation allegedly led to the arrest of a 23-year-old suspect at Ladipo Spare Parts Market.
The agency said further substances, including Colorado and methamphetamine, were recovered during the operation.
Methamphetamine Interceptions in Kogi
The NDLEA also reported an interception on the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.
Operatives stopped a Lagos-Abuja-bound commercial bus on September 30 and reportedly discovered a waybill package containing 1 kilogramme of methamphetamine.
The agency said a follow-up investigation led to the arrest of a 29-year-old alleged owner of the consignment in Utako, Abuja.
As with the other cases, allegations concerning ownership and trafficking remain subject to the legal process.
Drug Seizures in Plateau State
Plateau State also featured in the agency’s latest nationwide operations.
The NDLEA said officers arrested a 41-year-old suspect in the West of Mines area of Jos North on September 29 after recovering 33 bags of skunk weighing 385 kilogrammes.
The agency also announced the arrest of Idris Mohammed Kurra, 47, who it said had been wanted since allegedly jumping bail in December 2020.
According to the NDLEA, Kurra was facing trial before the Federal High Court in Jos over alleged possession and dealing in 198 kilogrammes of skunk.
The agency’s account means the allegations remain matters for the court to determine.
Further Arrests in Edo State
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives reportedly raided the residence of a 35-year-old suspect in Uyere community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area.
The operation resulted in the recovery of 32.2 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, according to the agency.
On the same day, officers reportedly arrested a 23-year-old man at Auchi Bypass in Benin City.
The NDLEA said the suspect was found with 59 grammes of Loud, 12 grammes of Colorado, 19 grammes of tramadol, 16 grammes of methamphetamine, four grammes of Swinol and four grammes of Molly.
The variety of substances recovered in the operation illustrates the range of controlled drugs being targeted by the agency across different trafficking and distribution networks.
What the Seizures Reveal About Drug Trafficking
The latest operations provide an indication of the different methods allegedly being used to move illicit drugs into and through Nigeria.
The seizures involved commercial containers, vehicles, travelling bags, household appliances and other forms of concealment.
At the ports, the NDLEA relied on intelligence and watch-listing to identify containers considered suspicious before conducting joint examinations with Customs and other agencies.
At the airport, officers used passenger screening to detect substances allegedly concealed inside shoes and luggage.
The different methods highlight why intelligence sharing and cooperation among law-enforcement agencies are important in efforts to disrupt trafficking networks.
They also show that interdiction efforts extend beyond individual couriers to larger shipments entering Nigeria through international trade routes.
Previous NDLEA Drug Seizures
The latest announcement is not the first major interception of Loud and codeine-based products by the NDLEA.
In June 2024, the agency announced the seizure of codeine syrup and Loud consignments with a combined street value of more than ₦2.185 billion at the Port Harcourt seaports in Onne and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
That operation involved a 164.5-kilogramme Loud shipment intercepted at the Lagos airport, alongside other consignments.
The repeated discovery of large cannabis and opioid shipments demonstrates that Nigerian ports and airports remain important points of focus for the country’s anti-narcotics agencies.
It also underlines the continuing challenge of preventing controlled substances from entering domestic markets or being transported internationally.
NDLEA’s Enforcement and Prevention Strategy
The agency’s approach extends beyond arrests and seizures.
The NDLEA said its commands and formations continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities during the latest reporting period.
The agency has increasingly combined enforcement operations with prevention and public education campaigns.
This dual approach reflects the fact that drug control involves both reducing the supply of illicit substances and addressing demand.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the latest operations and urged them to sustain efforts against drug-trafficking networks.
The agency said Marwa also encouraged officers to maintain a balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement with prevention and sensitisation.
Why It Matters
The seizure of more than ₦5 billion worth of Loud and codeine consignments matters because large drug shipments can potentially supply multiple markets and distribution networks.
The interception of such consignments before they reach their intended destinations can therefore disrupt trafficking operations at an earlier stage.
The involvement of three major ports — Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne — is also significant because maritime cargo provides traffickers with opportunities to conceal large quantities of controlled substances within legitimate shipments.
Effective intelligence sharing between the NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies can help identify suspicious consignments before they enter wider circulation.
The seizures also highlight the continuing challenge posed by codeine-based products and opioids in Nigeria, alongside cannabis and newer synthetic substances.
For communities, however, enforcement is only one part of the response.
Prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, public education and support for people affected by drug dependence remain important components of a comprehensive drug-control strategy.
Legal Process Remains Important
While the NDLEA has described the latest seizures as significant breakthroughs, arrests and seizures do not by themselves establish criminal guilt.
Suspects arrested during the operations are entitled to due process, while allegations concerning trafficking, possession or ownership must ultimately be tested through the appropriate legal procedures.
This distinction is particularly important in cases involving individuals identified by law-enforcement agencies before their matters are determined by a court.
The agency’s responsibility is to investigate and present evidence, while courts determine guilt or innocence where charges are brought.
What Happens Next
The NDLEA is expected to continue investigating the seized consignments and the people allegedly connected to them.
Where sufficient evidence is established, suspects may face prosecution under Nigeria’s applicable drug-control laws.
The agency is also expected to continue working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security institutions to monitor international shipments and identify suspicious cargo.
At the community level, the NDLEA’s prevention and sensitisation programmes are expected to continue alongside enforcement operations.
The latest seizures therefore represent more than isolated drug interceptions. They form part of an ongoing national effort to disrupt trafficking networks, prevent illicit substances from reaching communities and strengthen Nigeria’s response to drug-related crime.
For the public, the most important development to watch will be whether the investigations result in successful prosecutions and whether enforcement is matched by sustained prevention, treatment and public-awareness efforts.
WENG Global — stories beyond borders
Sources
- National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
- Channels Television
- The PUNCH
- Premium Times
- Vanguard
- P.M. News
