Opioids worth N6.5 billion intercepted in Lagos, Rivers: NDLEA

Mr Babafemi said NDLEA operatives intercepted the drugs at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers and the Apapa Seaport, Lagos.

News Agency of Nigeria • May 25, 2025

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted no fewer than six million pills of opioids and 332,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup in Lagos and Rivers states, respectively.

The intercepted items have a combined street value of N6.5 billion.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday named the opioids as Tamol 225mg, Tapentadol 225mg and Carisoprodol 225mg.

Mr Babafemi said NDLEA operatives intercepted the drugs at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers and the Apapa Seaport, Lagos.

He said the seizures at the Apapa and Onne ports followed intelligence and tracking of new trafficking routes to ship illicit substances into Nigeria.

Mr Babafemi said these were by drug cartels, which necessitated the watch-listing of the containers for 100 per cent examination.

“The consignments at the Port Harcourt ports: six million pills of opioids and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup were uncovered in two containers on Monday, May 19, and Tuesday, May 20.

“This feat was achieved during a joint examination of the shipments by NDLEA officers with men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.

“At the Apapa port in Lagos, a total of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup were discovered in a watch-listed container by NDLEA operatives. This also happened during a similar joint examination exercise on Thursday, May 22,” he said.

In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Mokwa-Jebba road on May 22 intercepted a Mercedes Benz car marked FST 938 FU loaded with 235 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97 kg and the arrest of a suspect, Adams Ayibakro.

“This is even as operatives in Lagos raided the Osapa London area of Lekki, where they arrested a suspect, Jonathan Isa, with different quantities of illicit drugs,” he said.

Mr Babafemi named the items seized as cocaine, methamphetamine, Molly, Rohypnol, codeine, cannabis, and nitrous oxide, among others.

“Another raid at Idasun, Eleko, Ibeju Lekki, on Saturday, May 24, led to the arrest of Olamilekan Idowu and seizure of 48kg of skunk.

“The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week,” he said.

(NAN)

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