The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a series of high‑profile arrests and seizures as part of its ongoing campaign against drug trafficking in Nigeria. On 14 September, businesswoman Theresa Ebere Okolonkwo was detained at Lagos airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. She had hidden two large parcels of methamphetamine, totaling 1.40 kg, in her butt‑pad underwear. In a preliminary interview, Okolonkwo claimed she was recruited into the illicit drug trade in Enugu, where she deals in used clothing and runs a POS business.
In a related operation, NDLEA officers intercepted a consignment of food items that concealed 40 wraps of methamphetamine at the export shed of Lagos airport. The 2.30‑kg shipment was bound for Hong Kong via Turkish Airlines, and 59‑year‑old Umelo Ifeanyi Venatus was taken into custody. The agency also seized a shipment of phone chargers containing 257 g of cocaine at a Lagos courier company; the package was destined for New Zealand.
Further seizures were made across the country. In Adamawa, operatives recovered 233,800 tramadol pills in three raids, arresting two suspects; an abandoned vehicle yielded 195,600 pills, while another suspect, Rita Zira, was found with 27,900 pills in her bedroom. In Zamfara State, NDLEA seized 109 bags of skunk weighing 1,099.4 kg from a suspect. Yobe State saw the arrest of two individuals found with 14,000 tramadol capsules. In Taraba, an operative captured a suspect with three sacks of skunk weighing 25.525 kg. In Edo State, two cannabis farms estimated to produce 11,330.0625 kg were destroyed, and the growers were arrested.
Beyond enforcement actions, the NDLEA has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes, targeting schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities. The agency’s efforts aim to dismantle drug‑trafficking networks operating in Nigeria and abroad, with a particular focus on protecting the country’s youth. Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa praised the officers involved in these operations and urged them to maintain their momentum. The NDLEA’s balanced approach to drug control has yielded notable successes, reinforcing its commitment to safeguarding Nigerian communities and preserving the nation’s global image.
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