The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recently uncovered several shipments of illegal narcotics cleverly concealed within unconventional items such as frozen snails, electrical light bulbs, and women’s apparel.
These shipments were destined for countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), passing through Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier service in Lagos.
This information was revealed in a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
“On October 7, 2025, Boladale Riliwan, a cargo handler, was apprehended after authorities discovered 15 packages of skunk cannabis hidden inside 10 large rechargeable electrical bulbs he attempted to ship to the DRC from the Lagos airport export shed,” the statement detailed.
“Another individual, 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a Public Health Assistant based in the UK, was detained on October 12 at Terminal 2 of MMIA. Officers found 2,300 tramadol 225mg tablets concealed within frozen snails in her luggage as she prepared to fly to Manchester via Qatar Airways,” it added.
“Additionally, NDLEA thwarted a scheme on October 16 to smuggle 810 bromazepam pills hidden inside female clothing destined for the United States, intercepted at a Lagos courier company,” the agency confirmed.
Confiscations of Illegal Drugs in Lagos
NDLEA’s operations in Lagos led to the arrest of Boladale Riliwan, who attempted to export skunk cannabis concealed within oversized rechargeable bulbs to the DRC. Similarly, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot was caught with thousands of tramadol tablets hidden inside frozen snails at MMIA, bound for the UK.
Furthermore, a courier company in Lagos became the site of another seizure when officers intercepted bromazepam pills camouflaged in women’s garments, intended for shipment to the United States.
Drug Busts Across Various Nigerian States
In Adamawa State, NDLEA agents arrested Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South LGA, after discovering 38,270 tramadol tablets concealed within the spare tire, trunk, and door panels of a Honda Civic. The drugs were reportedly trafficked from Benin Republic on October 12, 2025.
Between October 12 and 13, 2025, the agency eradicated 53,250 kilograms of skunk cannabis cultivated over 21.3 hectares in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti State. During this operation, three suspects-Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20)-were detained. Additionally, 17,400 kilograms of skunk were destroyed in the Aponmu forest reserve, Akure, Ondo State, on October 12.
In Oyo State, four individuals-Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30)-were arrested with 596 kilograms of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora. On the same day, Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25) were caught with 273 kilograms at Odo-Oyan, Igangan.
Ogun State saw the arrest of Joseph Andrew with 88 kilograms of skunk at Ona-Imeko on October 15, 2025. Meanwhile, in Imo State, Festus Udoh (42) was apprehended carrying 13,000 opioid pills along the Onitsha-Owerri highway. Enugu State authorities recovered 74.5 kilograms of skunk from Joseph Chukwujamaa’s storage facility in Umuogbo-Agu village on October 18.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives seized 117 kilograms of skunk from Ramoni Olukowi’s hideout in Mushin on October 18. Additionally, a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service at Apapa Port on October 14 led to the confiscation of 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup imported from India.