A Lekki‑based businessman, Cyril Chidiebere, was arrested along with two of his freight agents, Mejabi Sunday and Oyeyinka Babatunde, for their role in importing 12 parcels of “Loud” cannabis weighing 6.5 kg. The drugs were part of a consolidated cargo from the United States. The NDLEA’s three‑day intelligence‑led operation, described by Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, culminated in the seizure after the cargo arrived at the NAHCO import shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The shipment’s movement was closely monitored in a sting operation until Chidiebere was apprehended at his home in Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah, Lekki. Both Mejabi and Chidiebere provided statements confirming Chidiebere’s prior involvement in illicit drug dealing.
In Edo State, a pregnant 24‑year‑old woman, Rabetu Abdulrasak, and a disabled man, Shehu Adams, were arrested by NDLEA operatives in Agbede, Etsako West LGA, on April 15. Over 14 kg of assorted illicit drugs—including cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol and swinol—were recovered from them. The same day, Susan Isoro, a 22‑year‑old first‑year HND student at Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State, was detained opposite the institution’s “Second Gate” for drug trafficking. Police seized 1,100 ml of codeine‑based cough syrup and 283 g of cannabis from her.
Two young men, Nonso Peter (21) and Bright Chibike (23), were arrested a day earlier in Ile‑Epo, Abule Egba, Lagos State, with 43.4 kg of cannabis. During the same week, NDLEA agents intercepted consignments of tramadol, Rohypnol, ecstasy (designer drug) and cannabis concealed in winter jackets and bottles of body cream at MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos. The drugs were recovered at the new airport terminal on Friday, April 14, after the arrest of passenger Joshia Sunday, who was traveling on a Qatar Airways flight via Doha to Oman. A thorough search of his two black bags revealed 4.80 kg of cannabis hidden in three winter jackets and various quantities of tramadol, Rohypnol and ecstasy concealed in body‑lotion bottles. Preliminary investigation showed the suspect had entered Nigeria from Oman on April 7 and was returning a week later.
In Katsina State, authorities seized 1,730 bottles of codeine‑based syrup from suspect Bishir Saadu on April 9, and arrested Muhamadu Yusuf the same day with 8,000 tramadol capsules hidden in a commercial bus traveling the Kano‑Katsina road. In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives raided a clandestine laboratory on Thursday, April 14, at a residential apartment on 16 Sabon Gari, Zaria, where mist potassium citrate was being produced. The lab owner, Christopher Agodi, was arrested and 102 cartons containing 2,448 bottles of the substance were recovered.
Further arrests included Salisu Abdullahi, 25, who was stopped on the Abuja‑Kaduna road with 11.7 kg of cannabis concealed in two jerry cans while transporting the drugs from Port Harcourt to Kano. On the same road, Atiku Abubakar, 22, was apprehended on April 15 with 50 blocks of cannabis weighing 28 kg while traveling from Lagos to Shinkafi, Zamfara State, in a commercial bus. In Ondo State, following a tip‑off, anti‑narcotic officers arrested Aminu Saudi, 45, and Abdullahi Sani, 35, at Ogbese with 11 jumbo bags containing 211 kg of cannabis hidden in rice chaff. This operation was closely followed by the destruction of six hectares of cannabis farm in the Uso forest on Thursday, April 13.
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