NDLEA seizes cannabis and tramadol in major busts

Operatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency recently arrested a woman named Fatimah Ahmad at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State. She was caught with a gallon of palm oil that contained parcels of cannabis weighing 511.75 grammes.

Fatimah was stopped during the clearance for Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with a stop in Addis Ababa. This incident happened on Friday, October 16, 2026. She told the officers that her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, gave her the gallon. He was quickly arrested at the airport car park.

In another operation, the NDLEA found 8,725kg of powdered tramadol valued at over N6.98 billion during a search at Apapa Port in Lagos State. Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, released a statement about these findings on Sunday.

"At the Kano airport, NDLEA officers on Friday, 16th October 2026, intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, with a gallon of palm oil containing parcels of cannabis weighing 511.75 grammes during the outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa. Fatimah told operatives the gallon was given to her by her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, who was promptly arrested at the airport car park," the statement read.

The agency has been busy. They seized thousands of kilogrammes of cannabis and large amounts of opioids in several states including Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Kano, and Kaduna, making many arrests.

"Following a joint examination with the Customs Service and other agencies at the APM terminals in Apapa, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on 2nd October uncovered a large shipment of powdered 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.

“In a separate operation at the Tincan port in Lagos on Monday, 12th October, NDLEA officers, during a joint examination of a container with Customs and others, discovered 55kg of Canadian Loud worth N165 million. The drugs were packed in brown cartons and hidden inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle in the 40-foot container.

“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 14th October, raided Idumota market. They arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu, recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store. The next day, two 35-year-old men were arrested in Mushin: Idowu Daudu had 59.95kg of skunk, and Ahmed Oniyinde had 61.23kg of the same substance.

“On Thursday, 15th October, operatives acting on solid information intercepted a truck coming from Trade Fair market with illegal drug consignments along Iyana Oba. Two suspects, Tajudeen Adeduntan, the loading manager, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru, were arrested. They found 18,000 pills of tramadol 250mg hidden in cartons labeled as Rambo insecticide,” the statement said.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided Warake, Ivhiaro, and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East LGA from October 15 to 16. They arrested six suspects.

These included 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, caught with 179kg of skunk at Warake; Ayo Aigberadion, 53, with 220.8kg at Ewe/Irue; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852kg; Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100g; Musa Mubid, 35, with 2kg of cannabis and other drugs; and Hope Okoro, 35, with 237 grams of loud.

On Saturday, October 17, 2026, the agency reported that its operatives raided a cannabis farm in Okemoro Isinbode camp forest, Ondo State, destroying 7,500kg of skunk on three hectares and arresting five suspects.

They recovered 92 bags of skunk weighing 1,267kg, 11kg of cannabis seeds, and 3kg of fresh stems, totaling 1,281kg.

In the Owo area of Ondo State, operatives tracked 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi to his hideout in Ameyinti and found 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375kg.

On Wednesday, 14th October, NDLEA officers intercepted Shamsu Garba, 35, at Ragwam village in Katagum LGA, Bauchi State. He had 894,800 tramadol capsules and exol-5 tablets in his Volkswagen Golf wagon.

That same day, while on patrol along the Bauchi-Gombe road, they recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265kg from an abandoned car at Tudun Natsira village. This is just part of the NDLEA's ongoing efforts to tackle drug trafficking in Nigeria.