The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted illicit drugs valued at approximately ₦6.5 billion at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, and the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.
The intercepted shipments comprised over six million opioid tablets—Tamol 225mg, Tapentadol 225mg, and Carisoprodol 225mg—along with 332,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the operations at both ports were based on intelligence-led tracking of new smuggling routes being exploited by drug syndicates.
“This necessitated the watch-listing of containers for 100 per cent examination. At Port Harcourt, six million opioid pills and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup were uncovered in two containers on Monday 19, and Tuesday, May 20, 2025, during a joint inspection by NDLEA officers alongside Nigeria Customs and other security agencies,” Babafemi said.
At the Apapa Port, another 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup were uncovered on Thursday, May 22, from a container previously placed on a watch list.
Babafemi also reported the arrest of two British nationals and their Nigerian collaborators for attempting to smuggle 51.10kg of cannabis into Nigeria.
“Two British nationals, Mhizha Jordan Alexander Tatendra and Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon, along with two Nigerians, Shonowo Oluwaseun Imole and Ofuoma Omokaro Ayobami, were arrested by NDLEA operatives for attempting to smuggle 92 bags of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 51.10kg—through Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.”
According to Babafemi, Alexander was intercepted at MMIA after arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha on Thursday, May 15.
He was allowed through security but closely monitored to the car park, where the consignment’s recipient, Ayedipe, was waiting in an SUV with his relative Shonowo and their driver, Ofuoma.
“The operatives swooped on them as they attempted to leave the airport car park, arresting them with the drugs in the vehicle.”
Alexander reportedly confessed to being recruited during a recent vacation and said he had been promised £1,300 upon successful delivery.
“The syndicate’s ringleader, Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon, admitted arriving in Nigeria a day earlier from South Africa via Ghana. A follow-up operation at their Lekki apartment led to further discoveries. Upon arrest, N93,000 and 17,200 South African Rand were recovered from him, while a search of the apartment yielded N3,810,500 in cash, an Apple laptop, an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and four canisters of laughing gas (nitrous oxide).”
In other operations, NDLEA operatives destroyed 75,000 kilograms of skunk from 30 hectares of cannabis farms in Esuk-Odot village, Odukpani LGA, Cross River State, and seized 200kg of processed cannabis on May 22. Another 1,957.5kg was destroyed on May 23 and 24 in Ohosu Forest, Ovia South West LGA, and Okhuse Community Forest, Owan West LGA, Edo State.
“In Nasarawa State, two suspects—Sunday Daniel, 51, and Abu Peter, 30—were arrested in Keffi on Saturday, 24th May, when 4,000 kilograms of skunk were found concealed under unprocessed wood in their lorry. Another suspect, Godwin Obi, 39, was apprehended at Karu with 154.5kg of the same substance on Wednesday, May 21.”
Babafemi further disclosed that in Kaduna, operatives intercepted 22-year-old Muhammad Hamza along the Kaduna-Zaria Expressway with 57,750 tramadol and diazepam pills on May 21.
On the same day, NDLEA personnel in Bauchi arrested Usman Muhammad, 45, on the Bauchi-Misau Road with 80 blocks of skunk weighing 45kg.
In Yobe State, operatives conducting stop-and-search operations along the Potiskum–Damaturu road intercepted 55 parcels of Colorado cannabis weighing 2kg. The suspect, Adum Muhammed, 29, was reportedly attempting to smuggle the drugs into Chad via the Ngamboru Ngala border in Borno State.
“In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba Road on Thursday, May 22, intercepted a Mercedes Benz car marked FST 938 FU loaded with 235 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 97kg and arrested suspect Adams Ayibakro.”
In Lagos, further operations led to the arrest of Jonathan Isa at Osapa London in Lekki.
He was found with various quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, molly, Rohypnol, codeine, cannabis, and nitrous oxide. Another raid at Idasun, Eleko, Ibeju Lekki on Saturday, May 24, resulted in the arrest of Olamilekan Idowu and seizure of 48kg of skunk.
