The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered 8,725 kilograms of powdered tramadol worth over N6.98 billion in street value at the Apapa port in Lagos.
The Agency also seized large consignments of illicit substances in Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna and the FCT, arresting dozens of suspects, including an 85-year-old grandmother.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
Babafemi said following a joint examination with the Customs Service and other agencies at the APM terminals in Apapa, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on October 2, uncovered a large shipment of powered tramadol from India, declared as maize starch.
“A confirmatory test at the NDLEA forensic laboratory showed the cargo to be tramadol hydrochloride powder. When it was separated from its concealment on Wednesday 14th October, it came to 349 bags with a gross weight of 8,725kg, worth over N6.98 billion,” he said.
In a separate operation at the Tincan port in Lagos on Monday, October 12, officers discovered 55kg of Canadian Loud worth N165 million packed in brown cartons and hidden inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle conveyed in a 40-foot container.
Elsewhere in Lagos, operatives raided Idumota market on October 14 and arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu, recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store. The following day, two men, Idowu Daudu and Ahmed Oniyinde, were arrested in Mushin with 59.95kg and 61.23kg of skunk respectively.
Also in Lagos, operatives intercepted a truck coming from Trade Fair market along Iyana Oba on October 15 and recovered 18,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide. Two suspects, Tajudeen Adeduntan and Azeez Sikiru, were arrested.
In Edo State, operatives raided Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East LGA between October 15 and 16, arresting six suspects, including 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, arrested with 179kg of skunk at Warake.
Others arrested are Ayo Aigberadion, 53, with 220.8kg; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852kg; Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grams; Musa Mubid, 35, with 2kg of cannabis, seeds, tramadol and other drugs; and Hope Okoro, 35, with 237 grams of loud.
In Ondo State, operatives on October 17 raided a cannabis farm in Okemoro Isinbode camp forest and destroyed 7,500kg skunk on three hectares, arresting five suspects and recovering 1,281 kilograms of exhibits. In Owo area, 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi was trailed to his hideout in Ameyinti where 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375kg were recovered.
In Bauchi, 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and exol-5 tablets were recovered from Shamsu Garba, 35, at Ragwam village, Katagum LGA, on October 14, while 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265kg were recovered from an abandoned car at Tudun Natsira village.
In Kano, two suspects, Ali Abdullahi and Ibrahim Adamu, were arrested on October 13 along Zaria-Kano road with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg, while Murtala Dayyabu, 54, was arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato, with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 on October 14.
In Kaduna, three suspects were arrested at Kayimi village with 496.5kg of cannabis, while John Ayo David, 39, was arrested at Food Palace, Ali Akilu Road, with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In Abuja, 42-year-old Odo Jonas Ejike was arrested with 29,500 capsules of tramadol at Utako area on October 17.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers for their professionalism and urged them to sustain the onslaught.