ABUJA: Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA has escalated its fight against illicit drug trafficking, announcing a series of significant seizures across various states.
The items seized included large quantities of high-potency cannabis strains, “Loud” and “Colorado,” often concealed in unconventional ways.
The operations, conducted last week, led to several arrests, notably a Chinese businessman and an 80-year-old grandmother.
On Wednesday, July 23, along the Epe-Ajah expressway in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted Chidi Agbafo with 21.7kg of Colorado, some ingeniously packaged in moi-moi cooking sachets, alongside 3.8 liters of codeine-based syrup. The illicit substances were destined for Warri and Oghara in Delta State.
Just two days later, on Friday, July 25, a major bust occurred at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
A joint examination involving NDLEA officers, Customs, and other security agencies uncovered 101kg of Canadian Loud, meticulously factory-packed into 202 tins of imported food labeled ‘Bean Salad Mix’. This substantial consignment was hidden within two Toyota Sienna buses inside a container originating from Canada.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrests of two high-profile individuals linked to these drug networks: Liang Tak You, a Chinese businessman, and Mrs. Grace Ekpeme, an 80-year-old woman.
Liang Tak You was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday, July 25, 2025, based on actionable intelligence.
The naturalized Malaysian citizen, who had traveled from Bangkok via Dubai, UAE, on an Emirates Airline flight, was found with two suitcases containing 50 parcels of Loud, weighing 26.10kg.
NDLEA operatives had tracked his movement from his port of departure, allowing him to clear immigration before his arrest outside the airport.
Meanwhile, Mrs Grace Ekpeme, the octogenarian grandmother, was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, July 26, at Edet-Nsa Street, Base Site, Calabar South, Cross River State.
Intelligence reports on her drug dealing activities led to the seizure of over 3kg of skunk from her possession.
Beyond these high-profile cases, NDLEA operations last week spanned several states, resulting in a flurry of arrests and seizures:
* Abuja-Kaduna Highway (Wednesday, July 23): 71,000 pills of tramadol, diazepam, and exol-5 were recovered from Usman Musa who was transporting the opioids in a commercial bus bound for Kano.
* Borno (Wednesday, July 23 & Friday, July 25): Binta Usman, 30, was arrested at Muna Moforo, Maiduguri, with 30.1kg of skunk. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of her accomplice, Bala Abdullahi, in the same area.
* Ondo (Saturday, July 26): NDLEA operatives raided a cannabis plantation in Idoani, Ose Local Council, arresting three brothers – Nanna, Chizom, and Maxwell Ozirinye. They destroyed 2,500 kilograms of skunk cultivated on one hectare of land and recovered 121.4kg of already processed psychoactive substance.
* Edo (Wednesday, July 23): In Asakpa community, Benin City, Bright Sunday Okon, 26, was arrested with various quantities of Colorado, Loud, Arizona, skunk, and Methamphetamine.
* Nasarawa: 105.4kg of skunk was recovered from an abandoned Honda car in Keffi.
* Niger (Monday, July 21): Bashir Abdullahi was arrested in Kasuwan Gwari, Minna, with 6,400 pills of tramadol 225mg.
* Ogun (Thursday, July 24): After a violent confrontation with a drug gang in Ifo, operatives arrested notorious dealer Jamiu Omolaja and seized 113kg of skunk from his hideout.
* Gombe (Saturday, July 26): Adamu Adamu (a.k.a Dankyado) was arrested along the Gombe-Bajoga road with 10,910 capsules of tramadol.
* Kogi (Thursday, July 24 & Saturday, July 26): A consignment of skunk concealed in garri and other food items was intercepted along the Okene-Lokoja highway.
A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of Kindness Bala, 27, who planned to travel with the drugs to Katsina and eventually Qatar. Separately, 23,600 pills of tramadol, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and 700 grams of skunk were recovered from a truck at a motor park in Ayingba.
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA’s “War Against Drug Abuse” WADA social advocacy activities continued nationwide.
Sensitization lectures were delivered to students and staff at Komu/Babaode High School, Oyo State; Beacon Christian Academy, Ebonyi; and Government Day Secondary School, Sokoto.
Similar events took place at Government Junior College, Agege, Lagos, while the Anambra State command paid WADA advocacy visits to traditional rulers in Awka and Ukpo communities.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), commended the operatives from the MMIA, Apapa, Lagos, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Nasarawa, Borno, Niger, Ogun, Gombe, Kaduna, and Kogi Commands for their arrests and seizures.
He lauded their counterparts nationwide for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
