By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
AN UPSCALE 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, masquerading as a hub for drug distribution, was stormed by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), leading to the discovery of illicit substances valued at over ₦1 billion.
The operation, carried out between Friday 25th and Saturday 26th April 2025, saw officers comb the five-storey Hook Hotel, also known as Caesar Hotel and Caesar Lounge, recovering 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 417.3 kilograms.
Three suspects — Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh — were arrested on site, while two others, Noble Philip and his associate Kenneth, remain at large.
Vehicles suspected to have been acquired through the proceeds of the drug trade were seized, including a Toyota Prado Landcruiser Jeep (Lagos AKD 472 OZ), a Toyota Sienna (Lagos KJA 79 HJ), a Volkswagen Delivery Van (Lagos AAA 525 JE), a Kia Cerato (Lagos BDG 860 GQ), and a Grand Caravan Dodge (Lagos APP 847 YF).
Other items recovered included 74 new television sets, 10 used television sets, and 13 refrigerators among other properties found within the hotel premises at 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street, off Elsie Femi Pearse Street.
In a separate interdiction, NDLEA operatives intercepted a major shipment of opioids moving from Kano to Niger Republic and Yobe State through Jigawa.
Around 2:30am on Wednesday 23rd April 2025, officers on patrol along the Kano–Ringim Road in Gumel town stopped a Toyota Sienna vehicle marked ABJ 182 NW, recovering 200,000 tramadol pills (250mg) and 217,500 pregabalin capsules.
Two suspects, Abba Ibrahim, 28, and Shuaibu Umar, 29, were arrested at the scene.
A swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of the supplier, 41-year-old Jamilu Muhammad, at his residence in the Mil Tara, Layin Technical area of Kano.
Further searches uncovered 1,584,000 tramadol pills (250mg) hidden inside a Nissan 18-seater bus marked DAL 372 XA and a room within his residence. This raised the total seizure during the operation to 2,001,500 pills.
Barely a week after NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted 20 parcels of cocaine hidden inside religious books intended for Saudi Arabia, operatives uncovered another shipment on Wednesday 23rd April 2025.
At a courier firm in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 46 wraps of cocaine weighing 547 grams concealed inside a body cream container.
On the same day, officers also intercepted another consignment containing 1.8 kilograms of pentazocine injections and 60 grams of bromazepam tablets headed for Canada.
At the Seme border area in Badagry, Lagos, three Ghanaian women were arrested while attempting to smuggle cannabis into Nigeria.
The suspects — Haziza Zubairu, 42; Samirat Mustapha, 43; and Jamila Salifu, 26 — were apprehended at the Gbaji checkpoint on Sunday 20th April with a combined 4.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis.
In Kano State, a 60-year-old woman, Safiya Shamsu, was arrested in the Samegu area of Kumbotso Local Government Area with 5.6 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
In a separate incident, Muntari Labaran, 35, was arrested at Yelwa in Dala Local Government Area following the discovery of 100 litres of codeine syrup in his possession.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed two cannabis farms during a raid in the Ugbodu community of Ovia North East Local Government Area on Thursday 24th April 2025.
A total of 3,814.9 kilograms of skunk was uprooted and set ablaze. Three suspects — Samuel Samson, 26; Daniel Peter, 20; and Abel Edah, 31 — were arrested during the farm raid.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continued across multiple states during the week.
Sensitisation lectures were delivered to students and staff of Dan-Doro Community Arabic Secondary School in Doro, Katsina State; St. James Anglican School in Badariya, Kebbi State; Federal Government Girls College, Tambuwal, Sokoto State; and members of the Oganiru age-grade association in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Additionally, the Lagos State Strategic Command of the NDLEA paid an advocacy visit to the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, to strengthen community engagement against drug abuse.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retired), praised the officers and men of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), Lagos, Kano, Jigawa, Edo, and Seme Commands for their dedication to recent operations.
He also commended all NDLEA Commands nationwide for maintaining a balance between reducing drug supply and promoting drug demand reduction efforts.
