NDLEA Intercepts Tramadol Hidden in Cream, Jackets at Lagos Airport; Seizes Large Drug Consignments Across Nigeria
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted large consignments of opioids and methamphetamine concealed in body cream containers, winter jackets and carton walls at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while also recording major drug seizures and arrests in several states across Nigeria.
The anti-narcotics agency said the interceptions were part of intensified operations targeting drug trafficking networks attempting to smuggle illicit substances to Europe and other destinations.
According to NDLEA, two consignments destined for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of two suspects linked to the shipments.
One of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was arrested on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome. NDLEA officers discovered 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream packed in his luggage.
Ehianuka, a resident of Milan, Italy, reportedly confessed during interrogation that he had been promised payment in euros if the drugs were successfully delivered.
In another operation at the airport’s departure hall on Wednesday, March 18, NDLEA operatives intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, who was preparing to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.
A search of his luggage revealed a total of 28,470 opioid pills hidden inside two large winter jackets. The drugs included 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg. The 38-year-old suspect is also said to reside in Milan.
At a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels containing “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis weighing one kilogram, concealed in a carton shipped from the United States. Another attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside the walls of a carton destined for New Zealand was also foiled.
Beyond Lagos, the agency recorded multiple drug seizures across different states.
In Kano State, operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, at Dan-Tsalle with 102.5 kilograms of skunk, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was apprehended the same day at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5 kilograms of the same substance.
In Lagos, a raid at Otto area of Ijora led to the recovery of 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup from a store. On the same day, NDLEA officers arrested two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, on the Third Mainland Bridge while transporting 8,380 bottles of the substance.
In Edo State, 97.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the residence of a suspect, Akeem Idde, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.
Similarly, in the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway and recovered 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in the vehicle’s body compartments. The bus driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, a suspect identified as Bankole Bari was apprehended at Oke-Oyan in Ibarapa Local Government Area with 71.2 kilograms of skunk allegedly smuggled into Nigeria from the Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
Further seizures were recorded in Kaduna, where operatives recovered 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from a suspect, Lawal Anas, along the Kaduna-Zaria highway. Another suspect, Musa Shuaibu, was arrested at the same location with 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo highway while transporting 77,660 capsules of tramadol to Gombe.
In Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested following the seizure of 82.8 kilograms of tramadol in a truck in Yola. Those arrested include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim and Musa Mohammed, who were described as joint owners of the consignment.
The agency also continued its nationwide sensitization campaign under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, conducting lectures in schools and communities across several states.
Commending officers involved in the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, urged personnel across commands to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control through enforcement and preventive education.
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