The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered multiple attempts to smuggle illicit drugs out of Nigeria, with substances hidden in frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and female clothing bound for the United States, United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The seizures were made at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a courier company in Lagos. Two suspects, Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent, and Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a 48-year-old UK-based public health assistant, were arrested after officers discovered cannabis and tramadol concealed in export packages.
Another attempt to ship 810 bromazepam pills hidden in women’s garments to the U.S. was also foiled.
In Adamawa State, operatives intercepted a vehicle carrying 38,270 tramadol tablets, while raids in Ekiti and Ondo States led to the destruction of over 53,000 kilograms of cannabis and the arrest of several young suspects.
Additional recoveries were made in Oyo, Ogun, Imo, and Enugu States, and 117 kilograms of skunk were seized in Lagos, along with 80,000 bottles of codeine syrup intercepted at Apapa Port.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers for their vigilance and urged sustained enforcement alongside the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes being conducted nationwide.
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