Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than 3.5 million opioid pills and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup with a combined estimated street value of N3.428 billion in separate operations in Lagos and Rivers State.
The seizures were recorded on April 29, 2025, during operations involving NDLEA personnel, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, according to information released by the anti-narcotics agency.
The largest seizure came from a watch-listed container examined at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, where operatives recovered two million pills of Tafrodol 225mg and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup.
A separate operation in Lagos led to the recovery of another 1.5 million pills of a controlled opioid from a suspect in the Alaba-Rago area of Ojo.
Major Drug Seizure in Rivers State
The seizure at Onne followed a joint examination of a container that had been placed on a watch list.
The operation brought together NDLEA officers, Customs personnel and other security agencies as part of efforts to prevent controlled substances from entering Nigeria’s illicit drug market.
The recovered consignment consisted of two million Tafrodol 225mg pills and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup.
The NDLEA valued the combined seizures from Rivers and Lagos at N3.428 billion based on estimated street value.
The scale of the seizure highlights the continued trafficking of pharmaceutical opioids and other controlled substances through Nigeria’s ports and domestic distribution networks.
1.5 Million Opioid Pills Recovered in Lagos
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 1.5 million pills of a controlled opioid from Olarenwaju Wahab at Alaba-Rago in Ojo.
The agency said investigations traced the source of the consignment to a residence on Q104B Road 25, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, linked to another suspect identified as Obinna Kenneth.
Kenneth was reported to be at large at the time of the NDLEA’s announcement.
The development indicates that the investigation extended beyond the immediate seizure to identifying the alleged source of the drugs and the wider network connected to their distribution.
Other Seizures Recorded During the Operations
The NDLEA also reported other drug-related interceptions during the same period.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, operatives seized 42 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, weighing about 20 kilogrammes.
The consignment was concealed in food items arriving on a British Airways flight from Canada. Three suspects, including the alleged receiver of the shipment, were arrested between April 30 and May 3, according to the agency’s account.
Another suspect, identified as businessman Bobby Morris Osas, was arrested at the Lagos airport while attempting to travel to Italy. NDLEA officers reportedly recovered 8,130 pills of tramadol from his luggage.
In a separate operation involving a courier company in Lagos, operatives intercepted 104 grammes of tramadol and skunk concealed inside bottles of body cream. The consignment was reportedly destined for Iraq.
NDLEA Also Reports Explosives Interception in Kaduna
The nationwide operations also resulted in the interception of explosives in Kaduna State, although the explosives seizure was separate from the N3.428 billion drug haul.
On May 3, NDLEA officers conducting a routine patrol along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway stopped a commercial vehicle travelling from Nasarawa towards Zamfara State.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 942 explosives concealed inside a sack.
A 30-year-old suspect, Nura Sani Muhammad, also known as Nura Hariji, was arrested in connection with the discovery, according to the agency.
The explosives were subsequently referred to the appropriate security authorities for further action.
Wanted Drug Suspect Arrested After 10-Month Investigation
The NDLEA also announced the arrest of a suspected drug trafficking kingpin following a separate investigation.
The suspect, identified as 52-year-old Dominic Chiegozie Obijiaku, was arrested on April 26 after what the agency described as a 10-month investigation.
Obijiaku, who was identified as the managing director of Ovidaq International Limited, was allegedly linked to the importation of more than 2.6 million tramadol 225mg pills intercepted at Apapa seaport in Lagos in July 2024.
A follow-up search at his residence in Lekki reportedly resulted in the recovery of 51 wraps of Canadian Loud weighing 34 grammes.
The allegations against the suspect remain subject to the legal process.
Why the Seizures Matter
The volume and estimated value of the drugs intercepted underline the continuing challenge posed by the trafficking of opioids, codeine and cannabis in Nigeria.
Pharmaceutical opioids can have legitimate medical uses when properly prescribed and regulated, but their illicit distribution creates significant public-health and law-enforcement concerns.
Nigeria’s ports, airports, highways and courier networks remain important points of focus for drug-control authorities because traffickers can use both commercial and passenger channels to move controlled substances.
The combination of port inspections, intelligence-led investigations, airport checks and highway patrols allows authorities to target different stages of the trafficking chain.
The seizure at Onne also demonstrates the importance of cooperation between the NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies in examining suspicious or watch-listed consignments.
NDLEA’s Wider Drug-Control Campaign
The seizures form part of the NDLEA’s broader efforts to reduce the supply and distribution of illicit drugs across Nigeria.
The agency has increasingly reported intelligence-led operations involving warehouses, ports, airports, highways, residential locations and drug distribution points.
In April 2026, for example, the NDLEA announced the recovery of 2.36 million high-potency tramadol 225mg pills and 1.909 million bottles of codeine syrup from three warehouses in Lagos. The agency estimated the combined street value of that seizure at more than N16.9 billion.
In another major operation, the agency reported that a Federal High Court had granted an interim forfeiture order covering 17 containers containing millions of opioid pills and more than two million bottles of codeine syrup, with an estimated street value exceeding N33.6 billion.
These later seizures provide broader context for the N3.428 billion operation and show the scale of the opioid-trafficking challenge being reported by Nigerian authorities.
What Happens Next
The NDLEA is expected to continue investigating the individuals and networks connected to the seized consignments.
Suspects already arrested may face further investigation and prosecution under Nigeria’s drug-control laws, while persons identified as being at large could remain subjects of law-enforcement efforts.
The explosives recovered in Kaduna have also been referred to the relevant security authorities for further action.
For the drug seizures, the immediate focus remains establishing the origin, intended destinations and wider distribution networks associated with the intercepted substances.
The N3.428 billion seizure therefore represents not only the removal of a substantial quantity of controlled substances from circulation but also another investigation into the networks responsible for moving such products through Nigeria.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
- Channels Television
- Punch Newspapers
- Radio Nigeria
- The Guardian Nigeria
- Vanguard
