In a sweeping nationwide offensive against drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a Chinese businessman, an octogenarian grandmother, and several others for their involvement in narcotics smuggling across Nigeria.
The arrests, which took place between July 21 and 26, followed intelligence-led operations targeting multiple locations, including Lagos, Cross River, Abuja, Ogun, Borno, Kano, Niger, and Kogi states.
One of the most high-profile arrests occurred at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, where NDLEA operatives intercepted a 44-year-old Chinese national, Liang Tak You, upon arrival from Bangkok via Dubai. According to the agency, 50 parcels of premium-grade "Loud" cannabis weighing over 26 kilograms were found carefully stashed in his two suitcases.
In another shocking bust, an 80-year-old woman, Mrs Grace Ekpeme, was picked up from her home in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State. The agency said she had been under surveillance and was caught with 3.17 kilograms of cannabis. Her arrest followed credible intelligence on her role in local drug distribution.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation at the Green Star warehouse in the Apapa area of Lagos, NDLEA officials uncovered 101.5 kilograms of the same strain of Loud, smuggled into the country in two Toyota Sienna buses shipped from Toronto, Canada. The drugs were neatly concealed in food cans labeled as “bean salad.”
The agency also made significant seizures in other parts of the country. Along the Epe-Ajah Road in Lagos, NDLEA intercepted a consignment containing 21.7 kilograms of Colorado cannabis and 3.8 liters of codeine syrup destined for Delta State. In Niger State, 7 kilograms of cannabis were seized from a suspect travelling from Lagos to Kano. Similarly, in Abuja, operatives recovered over 71,000 opioid pills including tramadol and diazepam concealed in the boot of a commercial vehicle heading to Yola, Adamawa State.
The crackdown extended to remote plantations as well. In Ogbese, Ondo State, three brothers were arrested on a 20-hectare cannabis farm where 2,500 kilograms of the crop were destroyed and an additional 121 kilograms confiscated. Other raids in Ogun, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Gombe States led to further arrests and the seizure of large quantities of illegal substances including methamphetamine and skunk.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed the arrests, praised the agency’s operatives for their relentless efforts in dismantling drug syndicates. He also noted that NDLEA’s strategy involves a balance of rigorous enforcement and community engagement aimed at reducing both supply and demand for illicit drugs.
The agency reiterated its commitment to sustaining the fight against drug trafficking, warning that no individual—regardless of age, nationality, or status—would be spared in the ongoing war against narcotics.