The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)) has obtained an interim forfeiture order from the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt over 17 shipping containers of illicit opioids valued at over N33.6 billion, intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State.
The consignment, seized on different dates between April and September 2025 at the Onne Port Complex, contained 19.6 million pills of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol, and Carisoprodol, alongside 2.49 million bottles of Codeine syrup. The total quantity of the intercepted substances was estimated at 365,657kg, according to court records.
Ruling on the application filed ex parte by the NDLEA on 10 February 2026, Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, ordered the interim forfeiture of the containers and their contents to the Federal Government of Nigeria pending the final determination of the case.
The court further directed that custody of the seized items be vested in the NDLEA until the conclusion of proceedings.
Describing the ruling as a major breakthrough, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, said the decision represents a “death knell” to the financial networks of drug cartels, noting that the forfeiture has effectively cut off resources intended to fuel criminal activities and substance abuse.
Marwa commended the judiciary for its swift intervention, while also praising operatives of the agency’s Onne Port Command for their vigilance, alongside support from sister security agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service.
He further reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks nationwide through sustained enforcement, intelligence sharing, and inter-agency collaboration.
