NDLEA intercepts Zamfara-bound ‘492 explosives’, seizes ‘N3.4bn worth of illicit drugs’ in Lagos
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted a commercial bus loaded with 942 explosives heading for Zamfara.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, said operatives of the agency on patrol along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway on May 3 discovered the explosives during a stop and search operation in the bus coming from Nasarawa.
“A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a total of Nine Hundred and Forty-Two (942) explosives concealed in a sack and the subsequent arrest of a 30-year-old suspect, Nura Sani Muhammad (alias Nura Hariji),” the statement reads.
Babafemi added that operatives also intercepted no fewer than 3,500,000 pills of opioids and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup with a combined street value of over ₦3,428,000,000 in Port Harcourt, Rivers and Lagos states.
“The bulk of the seizures – two million pills of tafrodol 225mg and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup – was made on Tuesday, 29th April 2025, during a joint examination of a watch-listed container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state,” he said.
“In Lagos, a total of 1,500,000 pills of a controlled opioid were recovered from a suspect, Olarenwaju Wahab, at the Alaba-Rago area of Ojo on Tuesday, 29th April, while the source of the consignment was traced to Q104B Road 25, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, which is the residence of one Obinna Kenneth, who is now at large.
“Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, have intercepted 42 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 20kg, concealed in tins of chocolate, Milo beverage, white kidney beans and dark red kidney beans packaged as part of cargo that came into the Lagos airport onboard a British Airways flight from Canada.
“At least three suspects, including the receiver of the consignment, Monsurat Ewawunmi Lawson, have been arrested between Wednesday, 30th April, and Saturday, 3rd May.
“In like manner, a businessman, Bobby Morris Osas, was on Friday, 2nd May, arrested at the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy. A thorough search of his luggage led to the seizure of 8,130 pills of tramadol (225mg, 200mg and 100 mg).
“An attempt by another syndicate to ship 104 104grams of tramadol and skunk concealed in bottles of body cream to Iraq through a courier company in Lagos was also thwarted on Monday 28th April by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).”
Babafemi said Buba Marwa, the chairman of NDLEA, directed that the suspect and exhibits be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further action.
He added that five members of a syndicate led by Aminu Musa (a.k.a. Kadagi) were on April 30 arrested by NDLEA operatives at Dangoro market, Kano, with 50 blocks of skunk weighing 21.6kg recovered from them.
“In Edo state, operatives acting on intelligence on Thursday, 1st May, intercepted at Uromi, Esan North-East, a white Toyota bus conveying assorted opioids from Onitsha, Anambra state, heading to Auchi,” Babafemi said.
“Recovered from the vehicle were 314,020 pills of tramadol, Rohypnol, diazepam, and Exol 5; 638 bottles of codeine syrup; and 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection, while a suspect
Dare Adeyemo was taken into custody. A Mazda commercial bus marked XA343TSE was equally intercepted at Agu-Awka junction, Awka, Anambra state by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 30th April, while a total of 50,400 capsules of tramadol, 500 tablets of co-codamol and 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection were recovered and a suspect, Chinedu Eneh, arrested.
“In Niger state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Kontagora-Mokwa Road on Saturday, 3rd May, intercepted a Mitsubishi Canter truck marked RBH 104 ZY.
“A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 5,500 capsules of tramadol and 2,300 ampoules of pentazocine injection as well as the arrest of a suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, 30.
“After 10 months of painstaking investigation, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, 26th April, arrested a wanted drug kingpin, the 52-year-old Managing Director of Ovidaq International Ltd, Dominic Chiegozie Obijiaku, over his involvement in the importation of a consignment of 2,616,060 pills of tramadol 225mg intercepted by NDLEA at Apapa seaport in Lagos on 28th July 2024.
“A follow-up operation at his house in Lekki led to the seizure of 51 wraps of Canadian Loud weighing 34 grams.”
