NDLEA intercepts over 31m opioid pills at Apapa seaport and uncovers drug syndicates nationwide

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives at Apapa seaport, Lagos, uncovered and seized 31,750,000 pills of 240mg Voltron, a controlled opioid concealed in a container and dismantled cross-border drug networks supplying illegal substances in Nigeria

According to a statement by the agency, the shipment, originating from India, was falsely labelled as diclofenac sodium tablets.

The statement reads: “Thirty-one million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (31,750,000) pills of 240mg Voltron, a controlled opioid, packaged and concealed in a container imported from India, as diclofenac sodium 100mg tablets,” 

The discovery was made during a joint inspection of the container with Customs Service officers and other security agencies.

The operation also resulted in the arrest of key cartel leaders and the seizure of drugs valued at billions of Naira.

Cartel crackdown 

• The NDLEA operatives apprehended six prominent figures linked to large-scale narcotics trafficking.
• The suspects Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar, Nelson Udechukwu Anayo, Ezeh Amaechi Martin, and Adejumo Elijah Ishola were detained following an extended intelligence gathering.
• An NDLEA officer detailed the modus operandi of one syndicate, explaining, that Bawuro and Najib would transport tramadol in vehicles with false compartments

“Intelligence gathered revealed that some psychoactive substances including tramadol were often sourced by Ibrahim Bawuro and Ibrahim Najib from a notorious drug dealer in Onitsha: Nelson Udechukwu Anayo and thereafter packed and concealed in vehicles in the premises of Ezeh Amaechi Martin, an associate of Udechukwu,” the agency stated. 

This network, originating from Onitsha, Anambra State, has been identified as a key supplier of drugs to both Nigerian and Cameroonian terrorist factions.

Seme border arrest  

• At Seme border in Lagos, NDLEA agents arrested Adejumo Elijah Ishola, 37, a major figure in cross-border drug smuggling operations.
• Ishola was apprehended with 3.3 kilograms of cocaine and 600 grams of synthetic cannabis while entering Nigeria from Ghana.
• This operation carried out after months of surveillance, highlights the transnational scope of narcotics smuggling that NDLEA is actively combatting.

Seizures across key regions 

Several high-impact operations were executed across states, leading to substantial drug seizures:

• At Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA intercepted 700 grams of “Loud,” a potent cannabis strain, and arrested software engineer Olu Marshal upon arrival to retrieve the consignment. A subsequent search at his residence in Lekki uncovered drug-related paraphernalia.

• In Kwara State, the agency confiscated 162,800 pills of tramadol and other opioids from four suspects in targeted interdiction operations.
• In Edo State, more than a ton of cannabis was recovered from different locations, including 1,078kg at Okhuokhuo-Isi forest and 228kg at Sabo-Auchi.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised officers nationwide for their dedication and teamwork.

Amid these operations, NDLEA continued its advocacy under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. Throughout the week, NDLEA officers visited various educational institutions, workplaces, and traditional centers across states, including Park Royal College in Lagos, Ladigbolu Grammar School in Oyo, and Iman Secondary School in Sokoto to conduct sensitization lectures to raise awareness on the dangers of drug abuse.