The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 40-foot container carrying nearly five tonnes of high-grade cannabis worth an estimated N12.397 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos, while also dismantling a drug trafficking network accused of planting illicit substances in the luggage of unsuspecting interstate travellers.
The agency said the seizure formed part of a series of intelligence-led operations carried out across the country, resulting in multiple arrests and the recovery of large quantities of narcotics destined for both domestic and international markets.
In a statement on Friday, the NDLEA disclosed that operatives of its Apapa Strategic Command recovered 4,959 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, concealed inside a container that also carried two vehicles.
The operation followed more than four weeks of surveillance involving the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies operating at the nation’s seaports.
Investigations revealed that the shipment originated from Toronto, Canada, before moving through Montreal and Tangier Med Port in Morocco en route to Nigeria. The container arrived at Tin Can Port on June 4 before being transferred to Apapa Port, where officers intercepted it during a joint examination.
In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, while she attempted to board a Qatar Airways flight to Beijing, China.
The agency said officers, acting on credible intelligence, searched her luggage and discovered 7.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside a specially constructed false compartment.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly told investigators that she frequently travelled to China to purchase goods for resale in Nigeria.
The NDLEA also uncovered what it described as a criminal network that secretly hides illicit drugs inside the luggage of unsuspecting passengers using commercial transport services.
The investigation began after operatives intercepted a commercial Sienna bus travelling from Nnewi, Anambra State, to Abuja.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 467.7 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside a black nylon bag concealed within a sack of clothing bearing the intended recipient’s telephone number.
The recipient, identified as Mrs. Gloria Peter, was arrested after arriving at Utako Motor Park in Abuja to collect the package. She denied ownership or knowledge of the drugs.
Further investigations led to the arrest of loading personnel at the departure park in Nnewi, where one suspect allegedly confessed that the drugs had been secretly placed inside the woman’s luggage on the instruction of the vehicle driver.
The driver later identified one of the passengers, Onyebuchi Victor Okoye, as the owner of the illicit consignment. He was subsequently arrested by NDLEA operatives in Abuja.
In another operation, officers of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit arrested 57-year-old Ikechukwu Uwakwe at Iddo Motor Park in Lagos after recovering 209.5 kilograms of Scottish Loud, another high-potency cannabis strain, concealed inside a shipment bound for Enugu State.
The agency also intercepted a truck transporting illicit drugs from Togo through the Republic of Benin into Nigeria.
Three suspects, Hossou Tito Julien, Mancellim Dossou, both nationals of the Republic of Benin, and Jackson ThankGod, a Nigerian, were arrested after NDLEA officers stopped the vehicle on the Mile 2 Bridge in Lagos.
A search of the truck uncovered 558,900 tablets of Tramadol 250mg hidden inside a specially fabricated compartment.
Elsewhere, operatives arrested Lucky Abonga and Osas Azamobo along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway after recovering 118 kilograms of skunk concealed among legitimate goods in a truck travelling from Lagos to Onitsha.
In Amukoko, Lagos, officers also arrested Helen Ese Idiji and Rashidat Sa’adullah, recovering 28.8 kilograms of skunk during a raid on their residence.
According to investigators, Helen allegedly used Rashidat’s residence as a storage point before distributing narcotics to customers.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA said it has continued to expand its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitization programmes in schools, workplaces, religious centres and communities across the country.
Recent awareness activities were held in educational institutions across Yobe, Lagos, Kano, Kogi and Enugu states, with the agency aiming to discourage drug abuse, particularly among young people.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations, describing the seizures and arrests as evidence of the agency’s sustained commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks across Nigeria.
He also praised commands in Apapa, Lagos, MMIA, Abuja and Anambra for combining aggressive enforcement with public education efforts, urging personnel nationwide to remain vigilant in the campaign against illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse.
