In a series of impactful operations across Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dealt major blows to drug trafficking syndicates, dismantling a sophisticated network operating from a Lagos hotel, seizing millions of opioid pills in Kano and Jigawa, intercepting cocaine shipments bound for Saudi Arabia, and arresting smugglers at the Seme border.
Carried out between April 20 and 26, 2025, these operations emphasize Nigeria’s intensifying fight against the illegal drug trade, a menace that fuels addiction, crime, and regional unrest.
On April 25–26, NDLEA operatives stormed The Hook Hotel, also known as Caesar Hotel and Caesar Lounge—an 80-room luxury facility on Waziri Ibrahim Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The hotel, spread across five stories, served as a front for distributing Canadian Loud, a strong synthetic cannabis strain.
After conducting thorough searches for several hours, the operatives recovered 589 bags of the drug, totaling 417.3 kilograms and valued at ₦1.042 billion (approximately $2.5 million USD). Three individuals—Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh—were apprehended, while two others, Noble Philip and Kenneth, are currently on the run.
Authorities also confiscated suspected proceeds from the drug operation, including a Toyota Prado Landcruiser Jeep (Lagos AKD 472 OZ), a Toyota Sienna (Lagos KJA 79 HJ), a Volkswagen Delivery Van (Lagos AAA 525 JE), a Kia Cerato (Lagos BDG 860 GQ), a Grand Caravan Dodge (Lagos APP 847 YF), 74 new and 10 used television sets, and 13 refrigerators.
The scale of the findings suggests that the hotel functioned as a major distribution hub, shedding light on how traffickers often leverage legitimate businesses to disguise their illicit operations. Given its appeal to wealthy networks, Victoria Island has increasingly become a focal point for NDLEA’s surveillance efforts.
Meanwhile, on April 23, NDLEA officers in Jigawa intercepted a Toyota Sienna (ABJ 182 NW) on the Kano-Ringim Road in Gumel Town around 2:30 a.m. The vehicle, headed toward Niger Republic and Yobe State, was found to be transporting 200,000 tramadol pills (250mg) and 217,500 pregabalin capsules.
Two suspects, Abba Ibrahim, 28, and Shuaibu Umar, 29, were taken into custody. Following up, a raid in Kano led to the arrest of the supplier, Jamilu Muhammad, 41, at his residence in Mil Tara, Layin Technical area. Investigators uncovered an additional 1,584,000 tramadol pills hidden inside a Nissan 18-seater bus (DAL 372 XA) and a room in Muhammad’s home, raising the total seizure to a staggering 2,001,500 pills.
Tramadol, a dangerously addictive opioid, has contributed to a severe public health crisis in Nigeria, with millions of pills illicitly imported each year from countries such as India and China. NDLEA’s intensified operations in Kano—a critical trading center—reflect its pivotal role in domestic distribution networks and cross-border smuggling routes to countries like Niger. The agency’s intelligence-led strategies have proven crucial in disrupting these trafficking chains.
Also, on April 23, the NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted 46 wraps of cocaine (547 grams) concealed in body cream at a Lagos-based courier firm, destined for Saudi Arabia. This bust follows a similar incident the week prior, where cocaine was found hidden inside religious books, also heading to Saudi Arabia.
That same day, operatives seized 1.8 kilograms of pentazocine injection and 60 grams of bromazepam tablets bound for Canada. These discoveries further highlight Nigeria’s growing role as a transit hub for international drug trafficking, where traffickers continuously innovate concealment methods to avoid detection at Lagos’s bustling ports and airports.
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, on April 20, NDLEA officers apprehended three Ghanaian women—Haziza Zubairu, 42, Samirat Mustapha, 43, and Jamila Salifu, 26—attempting to smuggle 4.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, another potent cannabis variety, into Nigeria.
The arrests at the Gbaji checkpoint reflect the ongoing challenges in securing Nigeria’s porous borders, which often enable the unchecked flow of drugs throughout West Africa. Ghana Loud, much like Canadian Loud, is highly prized for its potent THC content, making it a sought-after commodity across regional markets.
In Kano, NDLEA agents arrested a 60-year-old woman, Safiya Shamsu, on April 25 in the Samegu area of Kumbotso LGA, with 5.6 kilograms of skunk, a cannabis variant.
Another individual, Muntari Labaran, 35, was apprehended in Yelwa, Dala LGA, with 100 liters of codeine syrup, a substance frequently misused across Nigeria.
In Edo State, on April 24, NDLEA operatives destroyed 3,814.9 kilograms of skunk cultivated on two farms located in the Ugbodu community, Ovia North East LGA. Three suspects—Samuel Samson, 26, Daniel Peter, 20, and Abel Edah, 31—were arrested in connection with the plantations. These operations underline the agency’s broad reach, from bustling cities to remote cultivation sites.
To complement its enforcement efforts, the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative continued community outreach campaigns.
Last week, WADA sensitization sessions were conducted at Dan-Doro Community Arabic Secondary School in Katsina, St. James Anglican School in Kebbi, Federal Government Girls College in Sokoto, and with the Oganiru age-grade group in Onitsha, Anambra.
The Lagos State Strategic Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, HRM Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, to engage traditional rulers in the ongoing campaign against drug abuse.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.) praised the efforts of operatives from DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Jigawa, Edo, and Seme Commands for their professionalism. He emphasized the need for all commands to sustain a balance between supply reduction (through arrests and seizures) and demand reduction (through prevention and advocacy).
Since Brig. Gen. Marwa’s appointment in 2021, the agency has been revitalized, with 2024 statistics indicating over 52,000 arrests and 8,000 convictions annually, alongside the seizure of thousands of tons of illicit substances.
These latest operations showcase NDLEA’s robust and evolving response to the drug crisis, though the escape of two suspects in Lagos and the vast quantities of drugs seized underscore that much work remains.
As Nigeria continues to confront the devastating social and economic impacts of drug trafficking, the NDLEA’s actions remain a vital bulwark in protecting the nation’s future.
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