The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Nigeria has seized over six million opioid pills and hundreds of thousands of bottles of codeine syrup, valued at ₦6.5 billion (approx. $4 million), during a series of coordinated operations between May 19 and 22 in Lagos and Rivers States. The drugs were discovered in three shipping containers following a joint operation involving the NDLEA, Nigerian Customs Service, and other security agencies. The seizure is one of the largest pharmaceutical smuggling busts in Nigeria’s recent history, and part of a growing effort to combat opioid abuse and drug trafficking networks.
In a separate raid in Lagos, two British nationals—Mhizha Jordan Alexander Tatendra and Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon (a dual Nigerian citizen)—were arrested after attempting to smuggle 51.10 kg of “Loud”, a high-grade cannabis strain, through Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The suspects were tracked to their residence in Lekki, where officials found cash, digital devices, and canisters of nitrous oxide. Tatendra reportedly confessed to being recruited during a UK vacation with a promised payout of £1,300. The agency is working with international partners to investigate the transnational links behind the smuggling operation.
In tandem with its enforcement drive, the NDLEA launched nationwide anti-drug education campaigns, delivering lectures in secondary schools across Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Adamawa, and Kano, and paid a courtesy visit to Fulani traditional leader Alhaji Muhammadu Bambado in Lagos to build community support. NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd.) praised the agency’s officers and partners, emphasizing that Nigeria remains committed to dismantling drug cartels and preventing youth addiction.
