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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja and Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted consignments of cocaine and various opioids concealed in the walls of cartons used to package clothes and other items bound for the United Kingdom and Australia.
The two seizures by operatives of the agency were recorded at a courier company in Lagos on Friday, May 15, 2026, during examination of shipments going to the UK and Australia.
A total of 170 grammes of cocaine sealed in cellophane parcels and buried in the walls of a carton of clothes heading to Australia were recovered.
A wide range of opioids, including 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 1,100 capsules of tramadol and 100 ampoules of promethazine injection, were recovered from another carton destined for the United Kingdom.
In Delta State, NDLEA operatives on Sunday, May 10, raided Ejeonu village in Ukwuani Local Government Area, where they destroyed 27,500 kilogrammes of skunk on 11 hectares of farmland and recovered 22.9kg of the same substance, while a 52-year-old suspect, Ifeanyichukwu Peter, was arrested in a follow-up operation at Obiaruku.
A similar raid in Orogun village, Ughelli North LGA, on Tuesday, May 12, led to the destruction of 37,500 kilogrammes and recovery of 55.4kg of the same psychoactive substance on 15 hectares of farmland, as well as the arrest of 30-year-old Godwin Vincent Osadera.
This brings the total weight of skunk destroyed by NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, in the two operations to 65,000 kilogrammes.
While 361kg of skunk was recovered and a suspect, Husaini Suleiman, 42, arrested during a raid operation in Dan Magaji area of Zaria town, Kaduna State, on Wednesday, May 13, a large cache of military-grade ammunition was intercepted by NDLEA officers on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna highway on Tuesday, May 12.
A suspect, 35-year-old Abdullahi Hassan, was caught conveying 1,989 rounds of RLA 7.62mm ammunition concealed in fresh white cassava granules, locally known as garri. Both the suspect and the exhibit have since been transferred to another security agency for further investigation.
In the FCT, Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Monday, May 11, arrested a 29-year-old businessman, Ogadi Peter, who specialises in producing drug-laced cakes and cookies for parties and social gatherings in the capital city.
Following credible intelligence, he was traced to his home in the Life Camp area of the FCT, where he was nabbed, while 800 grammes of skunk and 2.70kg of drug-laced cookies were recovered from him.
While 181kg of skunk was recovered from a suspect, Aliyu Sani, when NDLEA operatives raided the Ogere area of Ogun State on Wednesday, May 13, another suspect, Sufiyanu Mohammed Misa, 27, was arrested with 105,850 pills of opioids, including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5, along Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari LGA of Taraba State on Thursday, May 14.
In Oyo State, two suspects, Adeleke Olamide Aliyah, 20, and Aloba Abdulazeez, 25, were arrested on Thursday, May 14, at Challenge II, Saki town, in connection with the seizure of 99 litres of skuchies, while a total of 1,388.4175 kilogrammes of skunk were destroyed on two farms on Friday, May 15, when NDLEA officers raided Ago forest in Orhionmwon LGA of Edo State.
A 25-litre jerrycan of palm oil used to conceal 1.2kg pills of tramaking 225mg was recovered from Kofar Ruwa Motor Park in Kano on Monday, May 11, following credible intelligence, while a suspect, Aminu Isa, 35, was arrested in Sabuwar Sharada area of the state the same day with 30.5kg of skunk.
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The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands also continued across the country in the past week.
Some of them include WADA sensitisation lectures delivered to students and staff of The Apostolic Church Model College, Ijokodo, Ibadan, Oyo State; School of Health Technology, Lambata, Niger State; Yewa Junior High School, Agege, Lagos; Government Secondary School, Yardaje, Katsina; Igogo Commercial High School, Igogo-Ekiti; and Government Girls Secondary School, Magwan, Kano State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Delta, Kaduna, Oyo, Taraba, Kano, FCT and Edo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures recorded in the past week, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd), also praised their counterparts in commands across the country for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Meanwhile, NDLEA in Ebonyi State has arrested 170 suspected drug traffickers and seized a total of 130.986kg of illicit drugs in the state.
The State Commander of NDLEA, Jude Amaefule, disclosed this to journalists on Friday in Abakaliki, the state capital.
He said the arrests and seizures were made between January and March 2026.
He said the arrests comprised 146 males and 24 females, adding that two male suspects had been convicted.
Amaefule said the drugs seized included cannabis sativa, methamphetamine, tramadol, diazepam, co-codamol, ergometrine, pentazocine and ecstasy.
According to him, the seizures included 85.733kg of cannabis sativa, 711 capsules of 100mg tramadol, 0.0617kg of methamphetamine (303 pinches), 0.105kg of diazepam (723 tablets) and 1.670kg of pentazocine (487 ampoules), among others.
“We rehabilitated and discharged nine clients and admitted 11 others within the period under review.
“Currently, a total of 13 clients are receiving rehabilitation in our facility.
“Also, 52 suspects, comprising 49 males and three females, were referred to the command’s counselling unit during the period under review,” he said.
Amaefule reiterated the command’s commitment to the fight against drug abuse and trafficking in the state.
He urged those involved in such illegal activities to desist in the interest of the state and the country at large.
