In a sweeping crackdown that reads like a crime thriller, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a network of traffickers using religious books, charcoal sacks, underwear, and school compounds as fronts for moving illicit drugs across Nigeria and beyond.
Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday indicated that from Lagos to Kano, Yenagoa to Zaria, NDLEA operatives executed high-stakes operations that led to the interception of over 2.5 tonnes of illicit substances, arrest of multiple suspects—including a supplier to armed bandits—and the discovery of drug farms hidden deep within forests.
According to the statement, in Lagos, what appeared to be a consignment of sacred texts bound for Saudi Arabia turned out to be a devilish deception. Officers at a courier firm intercepted 20 parcels of cocaine weighing 500 grams ingeniously buried within the pages of religious books.
The bust, made on Tuesday, April 15, has raised questions about the lengths to which traffickers will go—and the holy objects they’re willing to defile—for profit.
Later that day, the statement said another discovery followed: 2.8kg of Loud—a potent form of cannabis—was seized, concealed in a carton shipped from the United States.
In Kano, Muhammad Mohammed, just 22 years old, was caught on the Bichi-Kano highway with 277 ampoules of pentazocine—a powerful injectable narcotic—strapped to his thighs and private parts with Sellotape. His mission: deliver to bandits in Katsina.
On the same day, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz was arrested with 68 blocks of skunk (30kg) in Nasarawa, Kano.
A tip-off led NDLEA operatives to a nondescript home in Opolo, Yenagoa, where they uncovered a warehouse of narcotics: 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine and29.8 grams of heroin
Four suspects were arrested: Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis (46), Roland Prosper (34), Sarimiye Tare Paul (45), and Fidelis Ugbesla (46).
In Surulere, Lagos, a delivery van loaded with 1,100kg of skunk was intercepted. Ismail Abdullahi, the driver, was arrested.
In Zaria, Kaduna, Ike Ani (30) was busted with 31,950 pills of tramadol and diazepam, powerful prescription opioids misused as recreational drugs.
Along Bagudo Road, Kebbi, NDLEA found 97kg of skunk hidden in charcoal sacks in a vehicle from Benin Republic. Three men were arrested.
In Abatete, Anambra, Okafor Marcel (48) was caught with 11.5kg of skunk.
In Osogbo, Osun, Ajala Mercy (27) was found with 43 litres of “skushi”, a toxic mix of blackcurrant drink, cannabis, and opioids.
Deep in the Egbeta forest of Edo State, NDLEA agents raided and destroyed two cannabis farms spanning 1.48 hectares, burning 3,717kg of the illicit crop and recovering 136.5kg of processed weed ready for the market.
At Tincan Seaport, Basorun Usman Kayode (40) was finally arrested—two years after NDLEA linked him to a 107kg Loud shipment from Canada. Also caught was Dauda Yakubu, known for peddling drugs within the port community.
The agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) outreach intensified across schools, markets, and motor parks in: Epe, Lagos, Ipoti Ekiti, Ekiti State, Minna, Niger State, Osogbo, Osun State, Calabar, Cross River and Onitsha, Anambra State
NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the bravery and precision of operatives from DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Bayelsa, Kebbi, Edo, Kaduna, Osun, and Tincan Commands.
“This week’s results show our resolve to dismantle every layer of the drug trade—no matter how hidden or how high it reaches,” said Marwa.
“Our fight is not just to reduce drug supply, but also to reduce demand. The mission is clear: protect Nigeria, protect the future.”