NDLEA Seizes Over ₦5bn Worth of Drugs, Arrests Milan-Bound Businessman
4.8kg cocaine allegedly concealed in shoes and travel bags; huge cannabis and codeine consignments intercepted at ports
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted illicit drug consignments worth more than ₦5 billion at seaports in Lagos and Rivers states and arrested a businessman allegedly attempting to take 4.80kg of cocaine to Italy.
The agency also destroyed more than 20,000kg of cannabis in Osun State and reported several other drug seizures and arrests across the country.
The NDLEA said the operations followed intelligence gathering and the monitoring of drug shipments and trafficking networks.
Businessman Arrested at Lagos Airport
Among the major arrests was that of 38-year-old Philip Tunde, who was arrested on September 27, 2026, at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Tunde was reportedly preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy, when NDLEA operatives conducted a search of his belongings.
The agency said officers recovered 16 parcels of cocaine concealed inside the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes.
Another 195 wraps of cocaine were allegedly hidden inside the railings of four travelling bags.
The substances had a combined weight of 4.80kg, according to the NDLEA.
Suspect Allegedly Paid ₦16m for Cocaine
During questioning, Tunde reportedly told investigators that he paid ₦16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes.
He allegedly said the consignment hidden in the travelling bags was intended for delivery to a business partner in Italy.
The suspect also reportedly told investigators that the money used to purchase the cocaine came from compensation he received after suffering an industrial injury while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy.
He said he lost the tips of two fingers in the incident, according to the NDLEA.
The allegations against Tunde have not been established by a court.
Thai Cannabis Seized at Apapa
At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders subjected containers from Bangkok, Thailand, to examination.
The agency said a search of one container led to the discovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg and valued at ₦372 million.
The cannabis was allegedly concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons.
Over 1.2 Tonnes of Canadian Loud Seized
At the Tin Can Island Port, also in Lagos, NDLEA officers searched a watch-listed container shipped from Montreal, Canada.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg.
The agency valued the consignment at more than ₦3.8 billion.
According to the NDLEA, the cannabis was concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags.
Codeine Consignment Intercepted at Onne
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, operatives examining two watch-listed containers recovered 22kg of Loud and 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
The codeine syrup weighed 16,440kg, while the combined street value of the Loud and codeine consignments was put at ₦833.2 million.
The NDLEA said some of the Loud was concealed in a travelling bag and inside three of five vehicles shipped in one of the containers.
The second container reportedly contained the codeine-based syrup and had travelled from India towards Saudi Arabia, with the agency alleging that its origin history had been deleted to avoid detection.
20,234kg Cannabis Destroyed in Osun
The NDLEA also reported the destruction of 20,234kg of skunk discovered on an 8.0936-hectare cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State.
The destruction was carried out on September 30 as part of the agency’s efforts to disrupt local cannabis cultivation.
The agency also reported additional drug seizures and arrests in Lagos, Plateau, Kogi and Edo states.
More Drugs Recovered in Lagos
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, where they recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol.
A follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market on September 30 resulted in the arrest of 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo.
The agency said Taiwo was found with 61g of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24g of methamphetamine concealed inside an energy drink bottle that had been sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus driver.
Another suspect, Osazuwa Iyabor Michael, 23, was also arrested at Auchi Bypass in Benin City with several substances, including Loud, Colorado, tramadol, methamphetamine, Swinol and Molly, according to the NDLEA.
NDLEA Continues Nationwide Crackdown
The latest seizures form part of the agency’s continuing operations against the trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs across Nigeria.
The NDLEA has continued to target drug shipments at airports and seaports while carrying out raids on suspected distribution points and cannabis cultivation sites.
The agency said its operations would continue as investigations into the latest arrests and seizures proceed.
