The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made several significant drug busts, intercepting illicit drugs worth billions of naira and apprehending multiple suspects, including foreign nationals. Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, detailed these operations in a statement released in Abuja.

One major operation involved the interception of approximately six million opioid pills, including Tamol 225mg, Tapentadol 225mg, and Carisoprodol 225mg, along with 332,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup. These drugs, with a combined street value of N6.524 billion, were seized at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers, and the Apapa seaport in Lagos. The seizures followed intelligence and tracking of new trafficking routes used by drug cartels to ship illicit substances into Nigeria, leading to the watch-listing of containers for thorough examination. Specifically, six million pills of opioids and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup were discovered in two containers at the Port Harcourt ports between May 19th and 20th, 2025, during a joint examination by NDLEA officers, Nigeria Customs, and other security agencies. Additionally, 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup were found at the Apapa port on May 22nd during a similar joint operation.

In another operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested two British nationals, Mhizha Jordan Alexander Tatendra and Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon, along with two Nigerians, Shonowo Oluwaseun Imole and Ofuoma Omokaro Ayobami, for attempting to smuggle 92 bags of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 51.10kg, into Nigeria. Alexander was intercepted upon arrival on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha on May 15th. He was then monitored to the car park where Adejuwon, along with Imole and Ayobami, was waiting in an SUV to receive the consignment. All four were apprehended as they attempted to leave the airport. Alexander confessed to being recruited weeks earlier and promised 1,300 British Pounds for the successful delivery. Adejuwon admitted to arriving in Nigeria from South Africa via Ghana the day before. A follow-up search of their Lekki apartment led to the recovery of N3,810,500 in cash, an Apple laptop, an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and four laughing gas (Nitro Oxide) canisters, along with N93,000 and 17,200 South African Rand found on Adejuwon at the time of his arrest.

Further operations across several states resulted in additional arrests and seizures. In Nasarawa State, Sunday Daniel, 51, and Abu Peter, 30, were arrested on May 24th with 4,000kg of skunk concealed under unprocessed wood in their lorry. Godwin Obi, 39, was also apprehended in Karu with 154.5kg of skunk on May 21st. In Kaduna State, Muhammad Hamza, 22, was intercepted on May 21st along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway with 57,750 pills of tramadol and diazepam. On the same day in Bauchi State, Usman Muhammad, 45, was arrested along the Bauchi-Misau road with 80 blocks of skunk weighing 45kg. In Yobe State, Adum Muhammed, 29, was intercepted with 55 parcels of Colorado weighing 2kg, attempting to smuggle it into Chad via the Ngamboru Ngala border in Borno State. In Niger State, Adams Ayibakro was arrested on May 22nd along the Mokwa-Jebba road with 235 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 97kg in a Mercedes Benz.

Additionally, NDLEA operatives raided the Osapa London area of Lekki, arresting Jonathan Isa with various quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, molly, Rohypnol, codeine, cannabis, and nitrous oxide. Another raid at Idasun, Eleko, Ibeju Lekki, led to the arrest of Olamilekan Idowu and the seizure of 48kg of skunk. Furthermore, 75,000kg of skunk were destroyed across 30 hectares of cannabis farms in Esuk-Odot village, Cross River State, where 200kg of the same substance was recovered on May 22nd. 1,957.5kg of the same psychoactive plant was destroyed at Ohosu forest, Ovia South West LGA and Okhuse community forest, Owan West LGA, Edo State between May 23rd and 24th.