NDLEA Raids Lagos Hotel, Impound Over N1bn Cannabis, Seizes Millions of Pills in Kano, Jigawa
In a daring operation that exposed the depth of drug trafficking networks in Nigeria, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided an 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, recovering cannabis consignments valued at over ₦1 billion.
The five-storey building, operating under the names The Hook Hotel, Caesar Hotel, and Caesar Lounge at 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street, served as a cover for the illicit drug trade. After hours of combing through the rooms between Friday 25th and Saturday 26th April 2025, NDLEA officers uncovered 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 417.3 kilograms.
Three suspects — Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh — were arrested at the scene, while two others, identified as Noble Philip and Kenneth, remain at large. The Agency also recovered suspected proceeds of the illegal trade, including five vehicles, dozens of television sets, and refrigerators.
Elsewhere in the country, the crackdown continued. In a major interception in Jigawa State, operatives acting on intelligence seized a large consignment of opioids bound for Niger Republic and Yobe State. The seizure took place around 2:30am on Wednesday, 23rd April, when officers intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle along the Kano-Ringim Road in Gumel town. Two suspects, Abba Ibrahim (28) and Shuaibu Umar (29), were arrested with 200,000 tramadol pills and 217,500 pregabalin capsules.
A rapid follow-up operation in Kano led to the arrest of the alleged supplier, Jamilu Muhammad, 41, at his Mil Tara residence. Further search revealed an additional 1,584,000 tramadol pills stashed inside a Nissan bus and in a room within his house, bringing the total haul to over 2 million pills.
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In Lagos, NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted a Saudi Arabia-bound cocaine shipment concealed in body cream. The operation, conducted at a courier firm on 23rd April, uncovered 46 wraps of cocaine weighing 547 grams. On the same day, they also seized a separate package containing 1.8 kilograms of pentazocine injection and 60 grams of bromazepam tablets intended for shipment to Canada.
At the Seme border area of Badagry, three Ghanaian women — Haziza Zubairu (42), Samirat Mustapha (43), and Jamila Salifu (26) — were arrested on Sunday 20th April for attempting to smuggle 4.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud into Nigeria.
Meanwhile, in Kano State, a 60-year-old grandmother, Safiya Shamsu, was arrested with 5.6 kilograms of skunk in Kumbotso Local Government Area, and Muntari Labaran, 35, was apprehended with 100 litres of codeine syrup in Yelwa, Dala LGA.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 3,814.9 kilograms of skunk found on two farms at Ugbodu community, Ovia North East LGA, arresting three suspects: Samuel Samson (26), Daniel Peter (20), and Abel Edah (31).
Beyond seizures and arrests, the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy continued across the country. Lectures and sensitization campaigns were delivered in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Anambra states, including an advocacy visit to the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, HRM Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi.
Commending the officers for their successes, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the commitment of personnel across Lagos, Kano, Jigawa, Edo, Seme, and other commands for balancing drug supply reduction with efforts to curb drug demand nationwide.
By PRNigeria
