In a series of recent anti-narcotics operations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted several shipments of illicit substances ingeniously concealed in everyday items such as frozen snails, rechargeable light bulbs, and women’s garments.
The agency revealed that these smuggling attempts were intended for destinations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy on Sunday, the seizures took place at both the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos and a local courier facility.
The statement said that two individuals have been arrested in connection with the trafficking attempts.
It added that, of the suspects, a freight handler identified as Boladale Riliwan, was taken into custody on October 7 after officers discovered 15 packages of cannabis, commonly referred to as “skunk” concealed inside ten large rechargeable bulbs that were set for export to the DRC.
In a separate case, a 48-year-old UK resident, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, was apprehended at Terminal 2 of MMIA on October 12.
NDLEA officers found 2,300 tablets of Tramadol, a powerful prescription painkiller, hidden within frozen snails in her luggage as she prepared to board a Qatar Airways flight bound for Manchester.
The statement also revealed that further investigations at a Lagos courier company led to the interception of a parcel containing 810 tablets of bromazepam, a sedative.
It stated that the the drugs were wrapped discreetly in female clothing and intended for shipment to the United States.
Elsewhere in the country, officers in Adamawa State arrested a suspect, Bello Buba, at a checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South Local Government Area.
He was found to be transporting over 38,000 Tramadol pills, which had been concealed in various compartments of his Honda Civic, including the spare tyre and door panels.
Authorities say he had driven the vehicle from Benin Republic, attempting to smuggle the pills across the border into Nigeria.
Meanwhile, NDLEA teams launched large-scale eradication operations in several southwestern states.
In Ilawe, Ekiti State, officers cleared and destroyed over 21 hectares of cannabis farmland, burning approximately 53,250 kilograms of the illegal crop between October 12 and 13.
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During the raid, three men aged between 20 and 27 were arrested, and 70 bags of processed cannabis weighing over a ton were seized.
A similar effort in Aponmu Forest Reserve, Ondo State, saw the destruction of nearly seven hectares of cannabis on October 12, amounting to 17,400 kilograms of the drug.
Additional seizures occurred in Oyo State, where four individuals were arrested in Apata-Ako, Igboora, with nearly 600 kilograms of cannabis.
Two more suspects were caught on October 16 in the Igangan area with 273 kilograms of the same substance.
In Ogun State, Joseph Andrew was detained in Ona-Imeko while transporting 88 kilograms of cannabis.
That same week, officers on patrol along the Onitsha–Owerri Road in Imo State arrested 42-year-old Festus Udoh, who was found with 13,000 tablets of opioid-based medications.
In Enugu, a raid on a warehouse in Umuogbo-Agu Village uncovered 74.5 kilograms of cannabis, reportedly stored by a local dealer identified as Joseph Chukwujamaa.
Lagos officers also made a significant bust in Mushin, seizing 117 kilograms of cannabis hidden in a suspected drug den operated by one Ramoni Olukowi.
A major container shipment was also intercepted at Apapa Port in Lagos on October 14, following a coordinated effort between NDLEA agents, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.
Inside the container, flagged by the NDLEA for inspection, were 80,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, a commonly abused substance.
Alongside enforcement actions, the NDLEA continues to expand its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign across the country.
Recent sensitisation programs were held in several schools and communities, including Commercial Grammar School in Ekiti, Government Technical College in Rivers State, and schools in Katsina and Abeokuta.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the agency’s personnel for their vigilance and dedication.
He called on all operatives to maintain a “balanced and proactive approach” in tackling drug trafficking and misuse nationwide.
