NDLEA Intercepts Europe-Bound Drugs at Lagos Airport
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in unusual items, including carton walls, winter jackets and body cream containers, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The agency said the seizures were part of a series of coordinated operations across several states, leading to the recovery of large quantities of opioids, methamphetamine and cannabis, as well as the arrest of multiple suspects linked to drug trafficking networks.
At the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects attempting to smuggle drugs to Italy. One of them, Friday Ehianuka, 37, was apprehended on March 20 while trying to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome with 2,698 pills of tramadol concealed inside skin-lightening body cream containers packed in his luggage. The suspect, who resides in Milan, reportedly confessed he was promised payment in euros upon successful delivery.
In a related operation on March 18, another Italy-bound passenger, Christian Agbonhese, 38, was intercepted at the airport’s departure hall while attempting to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan. A search of his luggage uncovered 28,470 pills of opioids, including tramadol and tapentadol, hidden inside two large winter jackets.
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Further interceptions were recorded at a Lagos-based courier facility, where NDLEA officers seized parcels containing one kilogram of a potent cannabis strain known as “Loud,” shipped from the United States. Another consignment of 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed within carton walls and destined for New Zealand was also recovered.
Beyond Lagos, enforcement actions extended nationwide. In Kano State, operatives arrested two suspects, Abdulkadir Mamuda and Uche Johnson Festus, with a combined 198kg of skunk at different locations. In Lagos, a raid in the Ijora area led to the recovery of 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup, while two suspects were arrested on the Third Mainland Bridge with an additional 8,380 bottles.
In Edo State, 97.5kg of skunk was recovered from a suspect’s residence in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area. Similarly, in the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada expressway, recovering 91,840 pills of tramadol concealed in its body compartments. The driver was taken into custody.
Other seizures included 71.2kg of skunk recovered in Oyo State, 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 intercepted along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, and 77,660 capsules of tramadol seized in Taraba State.
In Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola, following coordinated follow-up operations.
The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign nationwide, targeting schools, communities and workplaces to curb drug demand.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, urged personnel across commands to maintain a balanced approach combining enforcement with preventive advocacy in the ongoing fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
The statement was issued by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on March 22, 2026.
By PRNigeria
