NDLEA Intercepts 942 Explosives, Seizes N3.4 Billion Worth Of Opioids In Lagos, PH

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted 942 explosives headed for Zamfara along the Kaduna-Zaria Expressway.

Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Sunday.

Babafemi said the explosives were seized by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway on Saturday, May 3, in a commercial vehicle coming from Nasarawa State.

He said a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 942 explosives concealed in a sack.

He added that a 30-year-old suspect, Nura Sani Muhammad (alias Nura Hariji) was arrested in respect to the seizure.

According to the statement, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), directed that the suspect and exhibits be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further action.

Babafemi also said 3,500,000 pills of opioids and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup with a combined street value of N3,428,000,000 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Lagos State.

He said the bulk of the seizures include two million pills of tafrodol 225mg and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup, was made on Tuesday 29th April 2025 during a joint examination of a watch-listed container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state.

Babafemi said in Lagos, a total of 1,500,000 pills of a controlled opioid were recovered from a suspect Olarenwaju Wahab at the Alaba-Rago area of Ojo on Tuesday 29th April while the source of the consignment was traced to Q104B Road 25, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, which is the residence of one Obinna Kenneth who is now at large.

He added that NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos intercepted 42 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 20kg, concealed in tins of chocolate, milo beverage, white kidney beans and dark red kidney beans packaged as part of cargos that came into the Lagos airport onboard a British Airways flight from Canada.

Babafemi said at least three suspects, including the receiver of the consignment, Monsurat Ewawunmi Lawson, have been arrested between Wednesday 30th April and Saturday, 3rd May.

He said in like manner, a businessman, Bobby Morris Osas, was on Friday, 2nd May, arrested at the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy. A thorough search of his luggage led to the seizure of 8,130 pills of tramadol 225mg, 200m,g and 100mg.

Babafemi added that an attempt by another syndicate to ship 104 grams of tramadol and skunk concealed in bottles of body cream to Iraq through a courier company in Lagos was also thwarted on Monday, 28th April, by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).

He said, “Five members of a syndicate led by Aminu Musa (a.k.a Kadagi) were arrested on Wednesday, 30th April arrested by NDLEA operatives at Dangoro market, Kano, with 50 blocks of skunk weighing 21.6kg recovered from them. In Edo state, operatives acting on intelligence on Thursday, 1st May, intercepted at Uromi, Esan North-East, a white Toyota bus conveying assorted opioids from Onitsha, Anambra state, heading to Auchi.

“Recovered from the vehicle include: 314,020 pills of tramadol, rophynol, diazepam, exol5; 638 bottles of codeine syrup and 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection, while a suspect.

Dare Adeyemo was taken into custody.

“A Mazda commercial bus marked XA343TSE was equally intercepted at Agu-Awka junction, Awka, Anambra state by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 30th April, while a total of 50,400 capsules of tramadol, 500 tablets of co-codamol and 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection were recovered, and a suspect, Chinedu Eneh arrested.

“In Niger state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Kontagora -Mokwa road on Saturday 3rd May intercepted a Mitsubishi canter truck marked RBH 104 ZY. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 5,500 capsules of tramadol and 2,300 ampoules of pentazocine injection as well as the arrest of a suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, 30.

“After 10 months of painstaking investigation, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, 26th April arrested a wanted drug kingpin, the 52-year-old Managing Director of Ovidaq International Ltd, Dominic Chiegozie Obijiaku, over his involvement in the importation of a consignment of 2,616,060 pills of tramadol 225mg intercepted by NDLEA at Apapa seaport in Lagos on 28th July 2024.

“A follow-up operation at his house in Lekki led to the seizure of 51 wraps of Canadian Loud weighing 34 grams.

“The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Al-istigama University, Kano, and students and staff of Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Kankia, Katsina state, among others.

“While commending the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA, Lagos, Kano, PHPC, Kaduna, Anambra, Edo, Niger and Apapa Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.