The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced a series of significant anti-narcotics operations conducted across Nigeria, leading to multiple arrests and substantial drug seizures. These coordinated efforts spanned the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, various locations in Lagos, Kano, Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory, and Edo State, demonstrating the agency's relentless commitment to combating drug trafficking and abuse.

A major interception occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, where NDLEA operatives arrested a 74-year-old man, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, on Saturday, March 14. Emeka was apprehended at the airport's departure hall while attempting to board British Airways flight BA082 to London’s Heathrow Airport. A thorough search of his luggage revealed 11 kilogrammes of cocaine meticulously concealed within food items, specifically ground dry pepper, further wrapped in foil papers and balloons, in an apparent attempt to bypass security checks. The septuagenarian reportedly claimed he was travelling to the United Kingdom for a vacation, before the illicit consignment was discovered.

In Lagos, NDLEA operations led to several key arrests and seizures. Acting on intelligence, operatives raided the Ikad Hotel and Suites on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, in the early hours of Monday, March 9. There, they arrested Mrs. Maryam Olalowo who was allegedly attempting to sell 89 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of "Canadian Loud," a potent strain of cannabis. Remarkably, she was found with her three children, including an infant, at the time of her arrest. During interrogation, Olalowo claimed the drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, who was subsequently taken into custody the same day. Investigations confirmed that Olatunji had a prior record, having been arrested, convicted, and jailed for two and a half years in 2015 for a similar drug offense.

Further interdiction operations in Lagos Island on Monday resulted in the arrest of Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim at Ebute Ero. They were apprehended with 68,000 pills of tramadol, of varying strengths (250mg and 225mg), which they had loaded into a truck and were preparing to transport to the Benin Republic. A follow-up raid on Wednesday, March 11, at Idumota Market, Lagos Island, led to the arrest of Nnamdi Cyprian, identified as the actual owner of the tramadol consignment. Officers found an additional parcel containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol (250mg) prepared for dispatch via a waybill service in his shop.

Another raid at Idumota Market on Friday, March 13, saw the arrest of Nwanosike Kelvin, from whose shop 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection were recovered. Demonstrating the agency's vigilance at entry points, authorities also intercepted a massive consignment of 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup. These were discovered in two containers at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos on Saturday, March 14, during a joint inspection involving NDLEA officers, customs officials, and other security agencies. The containers had been under surveillance following credible intelligence reports suggesting they were being used to smuggle opioids into the country.

Beyond Lagos and Abuja, the NDLEA also conducted successful operations in other parts of the country. In Kano, 42-year-old Magaji Dan Azumi was arrested on Tuesday, March 10, in the Bebeji area with 386 kilogrammes of skunk. Similarly, in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA officers recovered 282.2 kilogrammes of skunk from 42-year-old suspect Isah Wako on Friday, March 13. Edo State operatives tackled cannabis cultivation directly, raiding farms inside the Egwa Forest Reserve in Orhionmwon Local Government Area. During this operation, Chinedo Odalonu, 33, was apprehended, and a total of 4,218.96 kilogrammes (over 4.2 tonnes) of skunk were destroyed across two plantations, with an additional 16.5 kilogrammes of the substance recovered.

Maj. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, commended the officers and men involved in these widespread operations across Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Edo, and the Federal Capital Territory. He urged them to maintain the momentum in their crucial fight against both the supply and demand sides of drug abuse. Marwa further highlighted the agency’s ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, which continues to engage schools and communities nationwide through sensitisation programmes aimed at discouraging drug use, particularly among young people, reinforcing the comprehensive approach of the NDLEA.