NDLEA finds drugs in bread, arrests real estate agent

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has seized synthetic cannabis, opioids, and other illegal drugs hidden in cargo, music speakers, and loaves of bread across different states.

On Sunday, the agency reported that its officers caught two shipments of synthetic cannabis, known as Colorado, from the UK. They also recovered two other shipments hidden in music speakers from motor parks in Lagos.

At least seven people linked to these drugs were arrested, according to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi.

At the import shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, officers intercepted a UK-bound cargo with 27 parcels of Colorado weighing 32.20kg.

Babafemi said a real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was arrested on Wednesday, September 9, after he came to collect a large bag with a secret code sent by his brother in the UK.

A follow-up operation related to another UK shipment led to the arrest of 44-year-old Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, who was supposed to receive 12.25kg of Colorado. Kadiri told the police that his brother in the UK sent the package.

The statement said, “At the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted a UK-inbound consignment concealing 27 parcels of colos weighing 32.20kg. A real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, who showed up with a secret collection code sent by his UK-based brother to collect a large bag containing the illicit substance, was arrested on Wednesday, 9th September 2026.

“A follow-up operation from a second UK shipment led operatives to the designated recipient of another consignment of Colorado weighing 12.25kg. The suspect, Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, 44, said the consignment was sent to him by his brother in the UK.”

In another operation, officers intercepted a music speaker rigged with three packs of Colorado at a motor park in Maza-Maza, Lagos. This shipment was headed for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and then to Liberia.

A tour agent, Ifeanyi Augustine, 41, and the owner of the shipment, Obasi Ugochuckwu, 46, were arrested during an operation at a nearby eatery.

At Iddo motor park in Lagos, another suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was arrested on Friday, September 11, while trying to send 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.

Babafemi noted that significant drug seizures also happened in Delta State, where separate operations in Ughelli and Asaba led to the recovery of ampoules of pentazocine injection, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, known as Hypnox, and MDMA, also called Molly.

Some of these drugs were hidden in music speakers, and two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested.

In Kano State, NDLEA officers raided a location in Sabon Gari and arrested 20-year-old Saidu Adamu with 785,000 capsules of pregabalin weighing 669.425kg.

In a different stop-and-search operation along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia Road, officers seized 1,700 tablets of diazepam hidden inside loaves of bread. The drugs were allegedly being carried by a 28-year-old suspect, Habibu Sabitu.

In Plateau State, a 51-year-old man, Chinedu Uzor, was arrested at Katako Market in Jos with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.

The agency also stepped up its fight against illegal cannabis farming, destroying 4,832.56kg of skunk on cannabis farms in Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest, and Ogboha Forest in Ovia South-West, Owan East, and Owan West Local Government Areas of Edo State.

A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was arrested during this operation on Friday, September 11.

In Ondo State, NDLEA officers acted on tips and raided a home along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure, on Wednesday, September 9, recovering 186kg of skunk hidden in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car with the plate number ABJ 917 FV.

The drugs were taken from 58-year-old Paul Ogbuwala, who was planning to move the consignment to Jos for distribution.

In Kaduna State, a female suspect, Hannah Michael, was arrested at Gonin Gora with 369.6kg of cannabis.

Meanwhile, four suspects, including 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg. The other suspects are Motombo Silver, 44; Pere Andrew, 39; and Keme Andrew, 43.

The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the officers involved in the operations. He urged personnel nationwide to keep up the agency's balanced approach to drug control.

Marwa told the operatives to “continue to shut every pipeline being used by drug cartels,” whether through airports, seaports, land borders, or areas where cannabis is farmed. He also praised the DOGI, MMIA, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa, and Kano Commands for their successful operations.