By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
ILLICIT DRUGS consignments concealed in carton walls, winter jackets and body cream containers and bound for Europe have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja and a courier firm in Lagos.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that two consignments heading to Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, where two suspects linked to the shipments were arrested.
Friday Ehianuka, 37, was intercepted on Friday 20th March 2026 while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin lightening body cream packed in his luggage.
In his statement, Ehianuka, a resident of Milan, confirmed he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded.
At the departure hall on Wednesday 18th March, operatives intercepted Christian Agbonhese, 38, who was attempting to board a Lufthansa Airlines flight to Milan. A search of his luggage revealed 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total to 28,470 pills. Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan.
At a courier firm in Lagos, officers on Monday 16th March intercepted two parcels of Loud weighing 1kg hidden in a carton shipped from the United States.
An attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand was also thwarted.
In Kano on Wednesday 18th March, Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, was arrested with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan Tsalle, while Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was arrested the same day at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the substance.
Not less than 21,737 bottles of codeine based syrup were recovered from a store at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos during a raid on Wednesday 18th March.
Two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested the same day on 3rd Mainland Bridge conveying 8,380 bottles of the substance.
In Edo State, 97.5kg of skunk was recovered from the home of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko Edo Local Government Area on Monday 16th March.
In Abuja on Wednesday 18th March, operatives intercepted a commercial bus along Gwagwalada expressway in the FCT, where a search led to the recovery of 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments.
The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was taken into custody.
In Oyo State, Bankole Bari was arrested on Tuesday 17th March at Oke Oyan, Ibarapa Local Government Area, with 71.2kg of skunk smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan river.
Along Kaduna Zaria highway on Tuesday 17th March, operatives recovered not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol 5 from Lawal Anas, 28, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday 20th March.
In Taraba State on Tuesday 17th March, Aliyu Adamu, 26, was intercepted along Takum Jalingo highway while conveying 77,660 capsules of tramadol to Gombe.
In Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola on Tuesday 17th March.
The suspects identified as joint owners include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim and Musa Mohammed.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that commands and formations of the agency also carried out War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week, including schools in Ebonyi, Lagos, Cross River, Enugu and Ogun states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa retired, commended officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba and Adamawa Commands for the arrests and seizures and urged them to continue the ongoing balanced approach to drug control efforts.
