Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized multiple consignments of methamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis, and other illicit substances concealed in imported machine cylinders and auto parts at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, amid a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking organisations.
This was revealed in a statement shared with The Guardian on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy.
According to the NDLEA, two members of a syndicate were arrested in Onitsha, Anambra State, on 18 November 2025 while attempting to collect a shipment containing 5.40 kilograms of methamphetamine, 10.70 kilograms of cannabis, 16 grams of cocaine, 200 grams of phenacetin, 200 grams of methcathinone, and 100 grams of caffeine.
The consignment had arrived from South Africa on 13 November 2025 and was seized following intelligence-led operations.
The arrested individuals were identified as 30-year-old electrical appliances dealer Ebulue Lotanwa Uzochukwu and 51-year-old South Africa returnee Christopher Michael Ndibuisi.
At Lagos airport on 20 November, NDLEA officers intercepted a brake servo automobile part concealing 48 pellets and a block of cocaine weighing 2.30 kilograms destined for Gabon.
The arrests of freight agent Ameh Solomon and auto parts dealer Nwafor Tochukwu Boniface followed subsequent investigations at the ASMPDA market, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo.
The Agency also reported seizures in other states, including 4,700 kilograms of cannabis intercepted in Kabba, Kogi State, on 17 November, leading to arrests of three suspects.
In Cross River State, a warehouse raid on 19 November recovered 4,706 kilograms of cannabis, resulting in the arrest of a couple, Onun Okoi Okpotum, 55, and Itam Okoi Okpotum, 52.
In Edo State, two women, Praise Nwogu, 19, and Ebong Emem Oghosa, 25, were arrested for producing and selling drug-laced brownies.
NDLEA operations across the country also recovered tramadol, opioids, codeine-based syrups, pentazocine injections, and live ammunition.
Arrests included suspects in Enugu, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, the Federal Capital Territory, and Lagos, where raids at known drug enclaves recovered cannabis, Colorado, and other controlled substances.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), said the crackdown is timely as the festive season often sees an upsurge in illegal drug activities. “The coming weeks present both an opportunity and a challenge. Drug cartels may attempt to increase their illegal activities, seeking to profit during the busy holiday period. We must not, and we will not, let down our guard,” he said.
The Agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities nationwide.
