NDLEA seizes N7bn tramadol at Lagos port, arrests 85-year-old grandmother
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has seized 8,725kg of powdered tramadol worth over N6.98 billion at the Apapa port in Lagos and arrested an 85-year-old woman with 179kg of cannabis in Edo State.
The agency also intercepted cannabis concealed in a gallon of palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano and recovered large quantities of illicit drugs in Lagos, Ondo, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the operations, conducted between October 12 and 17, 2026, led to several arrests and major drug seizures.
At the Apapa port, operatives working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies uncovered a shipment of powdered tramadol from India on October 2. The cargo had been declared as maize starch, but laboratory tests confirmed it was tramadol hydrochloride.
When the shipment was separated from its concealment on October 14, it comprised 349 bags weighing 8,725kg, with an estimated street value of more than N6.98 billion.
At the Tincan port, Lagos, on October 12, officers also discovered 55kg of Canadian Loud worth N165 million hidden in brown cartons inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle shipped in a 40-foot container.
At the Kano airport on October 16, operatives intercepted Fatimah Ahmad during the clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa. A search revealed 511.75 grams of cannabis concealed in a gallon of palm oil.
Fatimah told the officers that her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, had given her the gallon. He was subsequently arrested at the airport car park.
In Lagos, operatives raided Idumota market on October 14 and arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu, recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store.
The following day, two 35-year-old men, Idowu Daudu and Ahmed Oniyinde, were arrested in Mushin with 59.95kg and 61.23kg of skunk, respectively.
Also on October 15, officers intercepted a truck coming from Trade Fair market along Iyana Oba and arrested its loading manager, Tajudeen Adeduntan, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru.
"A search of the truck led to the recovery of 18,000 pills of tramadol 250mg, concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide," the statement said.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East Local Government Area between October 15 and 16, arresting six suspects.
They included 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, who was found with 179kg of skunk in Warake; Ayo Aigberadion, 53, with 220.8kg at Ewe/Irue; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852kg; and Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grams.
Others were Musa Mubid, 35, found with 2kg of cannabis, cannabis seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam, and Hope Okoro, 35, who had 237 grams of Canadian Loud.
In Ondo State, officers raided a cannabis farm at Okemoro Isinbode camp forest on October 17 and destroyed 7,500kg of skunk cultivated on three hectares of land.
Five suspects were arrested: Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35.
The operatives also recovered 92 bags of skunk weighing 1,267kg, 11kg of cannabis seeds and 3kg of fresh stems, totalling 1,281kg.
In a separate operation in Owo on October 16, 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi was traced to his hideout in Ameyinti, where officers recovered 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375kg.
In Bauchi State, officers arrested Shamsu Garba, 35, at Ragwam village in Katagum Local Government Area on October 14 after intercepting his Volkswagen Golf wagon. They recovered 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets.
The same day, operatives on patrol along the Bauchi-Gombe Road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265kg from an abandoned vehicle at Tudun Natsira village.
In Kano, Ali Abdullahi, 38, and Ibrahim Adamu, 23, were arrested along the Zaria-Kano Road on October 13 with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg. Murtala Dayyabu, 54, was arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato, the following day with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5.
In Kaduna State, a raid at Kayimi village led to the arrest of Mohammed Sani, 48; Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29; and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, with 496.5kg of cannabis.
At Food Palace, Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, officers arrested John Ayo David, 39, with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In the FCT, 42-year-old Odo Jonas Ejike was arrested in the Utako area on October 17 with 29,500 capsules of tramadol.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, retd., commended officers of the Apapa, Tincan, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Kano and FCT commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven operations.
He urged them and other officers across the country to sustain efforts against drug trafficking networks while maintaining the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
NDLEA seizes N7bn tramadol at Lagos port, arrests 85-year-old grandmother