UK-bound illicit Drugs, opioids seized by NDLEA in Lagos, Kwara operations
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a shipment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, hidden inside a duvet and destined for export to the United Kingdom via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
This was revealed in a statement by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday. Two suspects, Adakole Sunday and Austin Balogun, were arrested on January 21, 2025, in connection with the shipment, which contained six parcels of the psychoactive drug weighing 3.5 kilograms.
During interrogation, Austin Balogun admitted to receiving ₦700,000 for facilitating the shipment, claiming most of the money was spent on export handling fees and renting an apartment.
Nationwide Arrests and Seizures
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided a hideout in Igbo Olumo, Ikorodu, arresting two suspects, Joseph Oluwasegun Adewale and Biodun Adelakun. Items recovered included seven liters of “skuchies” (a psychoactive mix of black currant, cannabis, and opioids) and firearms:
Three locally made double-barrel rifles
One locally made double-barrel pistol
One English-made pistol
One locally made single-barrel rifle
Three cartridges and an empty 9mm cartridge
An iron-head axe
Additionally, an operation in Mushin on January 19 led to the seizure of 47 kilograms of skunk and 25.46 kilograms of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) from the notorious Akala area.
In Ekiti State, operatives arrested 26-year-old Adepoju Taiwo on January 23 along Iworoko Road in Ado-Ekiti with 1.95 kilograms of Canadian Loud.
In Kwara State, Auwal Sani was arrested on January 20 in Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area, with 50,000 tramadol pills (225mg), weighing 36.56 kilograms.
In Kano, three suspects—Abubakar Lami, a Nigerien national, and Nigerians Abba Sani and Auwal Aliyu—were apprehended at Gadar Tamburawa with 13.1 kilograms of skunk and 125 liters of “suck and die,” a psychoactive substance. Additionally, a cannabis plantation in Gefen Kasa, Dawakin Kudu, was destroyed, and 45-year-old Sabo Ali Muhammad was linked to the farm.
Advocacy and Commendation
As part of its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, the NDLEA has conducted sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to schools, workplaces, traditional palaces, and communities nationwide. Efforts included engagements at institutions such as Army Children Secondary School (Oyo), Government Day Secondary School (Kebbi), St. Dominic Comprehensive College (Akwa Ibom), and District Junior College (Agege, Lagos).
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the operatives in Lagos, Kano, Kwara, and Ekiti for their successes and praised advocacy teams for spreading awareness. He reiterated the agency’s unwavering commitment to eradicating drug abuse and trafficking across Nigeria.
