The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted several consignments of illicit drugs concealed in frozen snails, rechargeable electrical bulbs, and female clothes at different points in Lagos and other parts of the country. The agency said the seizures were part of ongoing nationwide operations aimed at curbing drug trafficking and dismantling networks that use creative methods to evade detection.
The development was confirmed in a statement released on Sunday, October 19, 2025, by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja. The consignments, which were destined for the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), were intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos.
One of the suspects, Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent, was arrested on October 7, 2025, after NDLEA operatives discovered 15 parcels of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden inside 10 giant rechargeable electrical bulbs. The consignment was reportedly prepared for shipment to the DRC through the airport’s export shed.
In a similar operation, NDLEA officials arrested 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a UK-based Public Health Assistant, on October 12, 2025, at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. The suspect was attempting to travel to Manchester, United Kingdom, on a Qatar Airways flight when officers found 2,300 pills of tramadol (225mg) concealed inside frozen snails packed in her luggage.
The agency also intercepted 810 pills of bromazepam hidden inside female clothes at a courier company in Lagos on October 16, 2025, which were being prepared for export to the United States. NDLEA said the successful busts highlight its continued vigilance at Nigeria’s international gateways and courier hubs.
Across the country, NDLEA operatives also recorded several other seizures in ongoing operations. In Adamawa State, officers arrested Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South Local Government Area, with 38,270 tramadol pills concealed in the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of a Honda Civic. The drugs were said to have been smuggled from Benin Republic on October 12, 2025.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA teams destroyed 53,250 kilograms of skunk discovered on 21.3 hectares of cannabis farmland in Ilawe Ekiti between October 12 and 13, 2025. During the raid, three suspects — Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20) — were arrested. A separate operation in Aponmu forest reserve, Akure, Ondo State, led to the destruction of another 17,400 kilograms of skunk on October 12, 2025.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30) with 596kg of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora. Two others, Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25), were caught with 273kg of cannabis at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, on October 16, 2025.
In Ogun State, Joseph Andrew was arrested with 88kg of skunk at Ona-Imeko on October 15, 2025, while NDLEA operatives in Imo State apprehended Festus Udoh (42) with 13,000 pills of opioids along the Onitsha–Owerri road. Similarly, in Enugu State, officers recovered 74.5kg of skunk from Joseph Chukwujamaa’s store in Umuogbo-Agu village on October 18, 2025.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives also discovered 117kg of skunk in Ramoni Olukowi’s base in Mushin on October 18, 2025, while another joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at Apapa Port led to the interception of 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container imported from India on October 14, 2025.
The NDLEA said the arrests and seizures reflect its unwavering commitment to cutting off drug supply chains and ensuring that traffickers face justice. Babafemi urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities that could aid the agency’s efforts in tackling drug trafficking.
He emphasized that under the leadership of NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd.), the agency has intensified its war against drug abuse and trafficking through intelligence-led operations, inter-agency collaboration, and public awareness campaigns.
The NDLEA continues to monitor courier companies, airports, seaports, and highways nationwide to intercept illicit substances and prevent Nigeria from being used as a transit hub for drug trafficking.
