…Italy-bound passenger caught with over 14,000 tramadol pills in Lagos
…Intercepts multiple drug shipments, ₦1.1bn codeine container in Rivers
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 44-year-old businessman, Mr Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka Christian, at Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State, for ingesting 53 wraps of cocaine in a failed attempt to smuggle the narcotics to Iran.
The arrest took place on 7 June 2025 as the suspect prepared to board Qatar Airways flight QR1434 to Tehran Khomeini International Airport via Doha.
According to a statement released on Sunday and signed by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, the suspect was subjected to a body scan that confirmed he had ingested illicit substances. He was subsequently placed under observation.
Over the monitoring period, Mr Ezemokwe excreted 53 wraps of cocaine in six phases. The total weight of the recovered drugs was 1.172 kilograms. During questioning, he admitted to engaging in drug trafficking for two years, operating between West African nations and Iran.
This arrest comes just two weeks after another suspect, Mr Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, 60, was intercepted at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano while attempting to traffic 65 wraps of cocaine to Iran using internal concealment.
In a separate case, NDLEA officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, arrested an Italy-bound traveller, Mr Edobor Ambrose Ali, on Saturday, 14 June 2025. He was attempting to board an Air France flight to Milan when he was caught with a large quantity of tramadol hidden in winter jackets inside his luggage.
The illicit cargo, comprising 14,410 pills of tramadol in 225mg and 200mg strengths, was discovered during routine baggage scanning on the airport tarmac. The operation was carried out in conjunction with personnel from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) aviation security unit.
During interrogation, Mr Edobor confessed that he lives in Italy and was sponsored on an all-expenses-paid trip to Nigeria to courier the tramadol back to Milan for a payment of €2,000.
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a major shipment of codeine-based syrup on Friday, 13 June 2025. The operation, conducted in partnership with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other national security agencies, uncovered 157,800 bottles of codeine concealed behind 257 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares. The agency estimated the street value of the drugs to be over ₦1.1 billion. Investigations are ongoing to identify the source and destination of the shipment.
In Cross River State, NDLEA personnel raided a warehouse in Obereakai, Odukpani Local Government Area, on Thursday, 12 June 2025, seizing 2,687 kilograms of skunk, a potent variety of cannabis. Three suspects were taken into custody: Mr Friday Achibong Joseph, 47; Mr Abraham Anthony Willy, 21; and Mr Utibe David Okon, 24.
That same day in Bauchi State, two suspected traffickers were arrested along the Bauchi–Jos road based on credible intelligence. The suspects, Mr Iriemi Imonikhe, 49, and Mr Sa’idu Ladan, 30, were travelling in a Toyota Camry bearing registration number AKL 201 GG. Officers recovered 195 blocks of skunk weighing 287 kilograms from the vehicle.
Elsewhere, on Thursday, 12 June 2025, NDLEA’s Marine Command recovered 14 jumbo sacks of skunk, totalling 560 kilograms, from a wooden boat at Oniru Beach in Lagos during routine patrols.
Also on the same day, two businessmen were arrested at the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Maiduguri, upon arrival at the domestic terminal. Mr Ishaku Abdullahi, 30, and Mr Buba Usman, 32, were found in possession of ecstasy pills and skunk repackaged in visually appealing wrappers labelled “Lychee” and “Porro Legal” to disguise their true contents.
Responding to the spate of arrests and seizures, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retired), praised the dedication and coordination of officers across the involved commands.
Brigadier-General Marwa lauded the efforts of operatives from MMIA, PHIA, MBIAM, PHPC, Marine, Cross River, and Bauchi Commands for their vigilance and effectiveness in intercepting drug traffickers and disrupting smuggling networks. He urged all NDLEA units nationwide to maintain this level of commitment, with a balanced focus on both supply and demand reduction strategies.
The NDLEA reaffirmed its determination to uphold Nigeria’s drug laws, dismantle trafficking syndicates, and shield communities from the harmful effects of illicit drug activities.
