NDLEA Burst US, UK, DR Congo-Bound Drug Consignments at Lagos Airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted consignments of hard drugs being smuggled to the United States, the United Kingdom and the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Murtala International Airport in Lagos. NDLEA operatives also arrested two suspects in connection to the seizures, including a cargo agent identified as BOLANLE RILWAN who was nabbed on October 7, 2025, in connection with fifteen parcels of the Skunk strain of cannabis. The hard drug parcels were concealed in ten pieces of giant rechargeable electric bulbs he presented in a carton at the export shed of the Lagos Airport for airfreight to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Another suspect in custody is forty-eight-year-year-old OLAWALE OYEBOLA HAKEEMOT who is a UK-based Public Health Assistant, who was arrested on Sunday October 12, 2025, at the departure hall of MMIA Terminal Two, Ikeja. The female suspect is alleged to have used frozen snails to conceal two thousand, three hundred pills of tramadol in her luggage, while traveling to Manchester, United Kingdom. NDLEA Head of Media and Advocacy, FEMI BABAFEMI, confirmed the seizures and arrests in a statement, adding that operatives also foiled another another attempt to export eight hundred and ten pills of bromazepam hidden in female clothes to the United States of America. Furthermore, BABAFEMI disclosed that operatives recovered eleven bags of Skunk, weighing 117kg from a suspect, identified as Ramoni Olukowi in Mushin area of Lagos on Saturday October 18, 2025. This is in addition to a total of 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup that were intercepted by NDLEA operatives in a container from India, which were uncovered during a joint examination of the shipment by men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies at the Apapa Port on Tuesday October 14, 2025. “In Adamawa intercepted one Bello Buba in Namtari, Yola South LGA with 38,270 pills of tramadol concealed in the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of his Honda Civic car he drove all the way from Benin Republic to smuggle the consignment into Nigeria on Sunday 12th October. “Not less than 53,250 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on 21.3 hectares of cannabis farm in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti state, with 70 bags of the same psychoactive substance weighing 1,140kg recovered by NDLEA operatives during an operation that lasted between Sunday 12th and Monday 13th October. Suspects arrested include: Matthew Emmanuel, 26; James Moses, 27; and Israel Samuel, 20. This followed the destruction of 17,400kg skunk on 6.96 hectares of plantation by NDLEA operatives at Aponmu forest reserve, Akure, Ondo state on Sunday 12th October. “In Oyo state, Aliyu Muhammed, 50; Babarinde Segun,32; Ogunbiyi Sanjo, 30; and Ajani Oluro,30, were nabbed with 596kg skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora, while Jacob Afolabi, 30, and Salako Oluwatobi, 25, were arrested with 273kg of same substance at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, on Thursday 16th October. “While Joseph Andrew was arrested in possession of 88kg skunk on Wednesday 15th October by NDLEA operatives at Ona - Imeko, Ogun state, another suspect Festus Udoh, 42, was nabbed with 13,000 pills of opioids along Onitsha-Owerri road, Imo state. In same vein, a total of 74.5kg skunk was recovered from the store of a suspect Joseph Chukwujamaa at Umuogbo - Agu village, Enugu state on Saturday 18th October. “In like manner, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA advocacy lecture to students and staff of Commercial Grammar School, Igogo Ekiti; Junior Secondary Smart School, Kasarawa, Katsina; Government Technical College, Ahoada, Rivers; Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Yau Danzabuwa, Babura, Jigawa state; Attarbiyya Community College, Hotoro, Kano; Fuga Mixed Secondary School, Fuga, Edo state; St. Cyprian Special Science School, Nsukka, Enugu and St. Peter’s College, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun state, among others. “While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Apapa, Lagos, Ekiti, Adamawa, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Ondo, and Imo Commands for the arrests, and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) urged them and their colleagues across the country not to relent in their ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.”