The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking with a string of high-profile interceptions and arrests across the country, including the seizure of cocaine cleverly concealed in religious books destined for Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) uncovered 20 parcels of cocaine weighing 500 grams, hidden within 20 sets of religious books at a courier company in Lagos. The consignment was being prepared for export to Saudi Arabia.
In a separate operation at another courier firm, officers intercepted five parcels of Loud a strong variant of cannabis hidden in a carton from the United States, with a total weight of 2.8 kilograms.
In Kano, a 22-year-old identified as Muhammad Mohammed, who supplies drugs to bandits, was arrested on Bichi-Kano Road on Sunday, April 13. He was found with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection strapped to his thighs and private parts with Sellotape. That same day, another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was arrested in Nasarawa area with 68 blocks of cannabis weighing 30kg.
Further south, a major operation in Bayelsa State on Wednesday, April 16, led to the discovery of a drug warehouse on Major General Isaiah Allison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa. Officers recovered 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine, and 29.8 grams of heroin. Four suspects were arrested: Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis (46), Roland Prosper (34), Sarimiye Tare Paul (45), and Fidelis Ugbesla (46).
In Lagos, 1,100kg of skunk were recovered from a delivery van, with the driver, Ismail Abdullahi, arrested in Surulere on Thursday, April 17.
In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of one Ike Ani, 30, in Zaria on Friday, April 18, recovered 31,950 pills of tramadol 225mg and diazepam.
In Kebbi, officers intercepted a vehicle loaded with charcoal bags on Bagudo road. A search revealed 97kg of skunk hidden in the sacks. Three suspects Abubakar Ibrahim (50), Mustapha Aliyu (32), and Bashar Lawali (28) were arrested.
Other arrests included Okafor Marcel (48) found with 11.5kg of skunk in Abatete, Anambra State, and Ajala Mercy (27) apprehended in Osogbo, Osun State with 43 litres of skushi, a cocktail of black currant, cannabis, and opioids.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers raided two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, Ovia North East LGA, destroying 1.487 hectares of cannabis plants weighing 3,717.86kg and seizing 136.5kg of processed cannabis.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, officers arrested Basorun Usman Kayode, 40, who had been on the run for two years in connection with a 2023 seizure of 107kg of Loud from Canada. Another suspect, Dauda Yakubu, was arrested for distributing drugs within the port community.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign with outreach programmes held across various states, including Lagos, Ekiti, Niger, Osun, Cross River, and Anambra.
Commending the efforts of officers involved in these operations, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their commitment to both drug supply and demand reduction strategies.
