By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
MASSIVE HAULS of illicit drugs have been intercepted across Nigeria, with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovering opioids and codeine-based syrups valued at over ₦6.5 billion at the Apapa and Onne seaports/
Two British nationals linked to a high-level cannabis smuggling attempt through Lagos airport were also arrested by the agency.
Six million opioid pills and 332,000 bottles of codeine syrup were seized in two separate operations at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Rivers State, and the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
Acting on intelligence, NDLEA agents placed the incoming containers under strict watch, leading to the discovery of tamol 225mg, tapentadol 225mg, and carisoprodol 225mg pills. The seizures were carried out during joint inspections with the Nigeria Customs Service between 19 and 22 May.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, two British men—Mhizha Jordan Alexander Tatendra and Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon—alongside Nigerians Shonowo Oluwaseun Imole and Ofuoma Omokaro Ayobami, were arrested attempting to traffic 51.10kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.
Alexander arrived from Doha on 15 May with the drugs concealed in luggage.
NDLEA operatives, who had been monitoring him based on intelligence, tracked the suspects to the airport car park where the arrest was executed.
Further raids on a Lekki apartment linked to the syndicate revealed ₦3.81 million in cash, foreign currency, gadgets, and nitrous oxide canisters.
Adejuwon reportedly confessed to orchestrating the operation after entering Nigeria via South Africa through Ghana.
In another large-scale operation, NDLEA agents destroyed 75,000kg of cannabis on farmlands covering 30 hectares in Cross River, while an additional 1,957.5kg of skunk was destroyed across multiple forest locations in Edo State.
Seizures and arrests linked to cannabis trafficking were also recorded in Nasarawa, Kaduna, Niger, and Yobe States, with over 4,000kg of skunk recovered from concealed shipments in lorries and vehicles.
Meanwhile, stop-and-search operations across Bauchi and Kaduna yielded more drugs, including tramadol, diazepam, and blocks of skunk, while NDLEA patrol teams intercepted 55 parcels of Colorado marijuana along the Potiskum–Damaturu road en route to Chad.
Urban raids in Lagos resulted in arrests and seizures of various narcotics, including cocaine, methamphetamine, molly, codeine, cannabis, and nitrous oxide. Two suspects were arrested in Lekki for possession and distribution of these substances.
In parallel, the NDLEA sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy through sensitisation lectures across schools in Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Adamawa, and Kano, including an advocacy visit to the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the dedication of officers across the country for balancing drug supply suppression and public health-focused interventions during the week-long nationwide operation.
