Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and opioids concealed within carton walls during a series of coordinated operations carried out across multiple states.
The agency disclosed that the illicit shipments, which were bound for the United Kingdom and Australia, were uncovered at a Lagos-based courier facility on Friday, May 15, 2026, during routine cargo examination.
NDLEA officers recovered 170 grammes of cocaine carefully sealed in cellophane and hidden within the walls of a carton containing clothing destined for Australia.
In another consignment heading to the United Kingdom, operatives discovered several opioids, including 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 1,100 capsules of tramadol and 100 ampoules of promethazine injection concealed in a similar manner.
In Delta State, large-scale anti-narcotics operations led to the destruction of cannabis farms located in Ukwuani and Ughelli North Local Government Areas.
Raids conducted between May 10 and 12 resulted in the destruction of 65,000 kilogrammes of skunk spread across 26 hectares of farmland, while additional quantities were also recovered.
Two suspects identified as Ifeanyichukwu Peter, 52, and Godwin Vincent Osadera, 30, were arrested during follow-up operations.
In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives intercepted 1,989 rounds of military-grade ammunition along the Abuja–Kaduna highway on May 12.
The ammunition, identified as 7.62mm rounds, was concealed in sacks of cassava granules, commonly known as garri.
A 35-year-old suspect, Abdullahi Hassan, was arrested and later handed over alongside the recovered ammunition to another security agency for further investigation.
Another raid carried out in Zaria led to the recovery of 361 kilogrammes of skunk and the arrest of a 42-year-old suspect, Husaini Suleiman.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, NDLEA operatives arrested a 29-year-old businessman, Ogadi Peter, accused of producing drug-laced cakes and cookies for social events.
He was apprehended at his residence in Life Camp, where operatives recovered 800 grammes of skunk and 2.7 kilogrammes of drug-infused baked products.
Elsewhere, operations in Ogun State led to the recovery of 181 kilogrammes of skunk during a raid in Ogere.
In Taraba State, a suspect was arrested with 105,850 pills of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam, along the Zaki-Biam road in Wukari Local Government Area.
In Oyo State, two suspects were arrested in Saki with 99 litres of “skuchies,” a locally brewed psychoactive substance.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Edo State destroyed 1,388.4 kilogrammes of skunk on farms located in Orhionmwon Local Government Area.
Further seizures were recorded in Kano State, where tramadol pills weighing 1.2 kilogrammes were discovered concealed inside a 25-litre container of palm oil at Kofar Ruwa motor park.
Another suspect was also arrested with 30.5 kilogrammes of skunk in the Sabuwar Sharada area.
The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign through sensitisation programmes conducted in schools across Oyo, Niger, Lagos, Katsina, Ekiti and Kano states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across the affected commands for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts nationwide.
The agency said the latest operations underscore its intensified crackdown on drug trafficking networks and broader efforts aimed at curbing substance abuse across the country.
