Two young women and several others have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following the interception of 66 parcels of Loud—a potent strain of cannabis—at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The development was confirmed in a statement released on Sunday, June 8, 2025, by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to Babafemi, the seizure was made on Thursday, June 5, 2025, after the agency received actionable intelligence ahead of the consignment’s arrival at the cargo terminal on May 11. The NDLEA had placed the shipment under surveillance for over three weeks before inviting relevant stakeholders for a joint inspection last Thursday.
The illegal substance, weighing 62.20kg, was cleverly concealed in green tea packaging. The consignment originated from Thailand and was routed through the UAE on an Emirates Airlines flight.
Additional NDLEA Operations Across Nigeria:
In Lagos:
On Monday, June 2, NDLEA operatives intercepted another consignment containing 1,665kg of skunk along the Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects, Gidado Abdulrasaq Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Kaduna:
On Tuesday, June 3, NDLEA officers patrolling the Abuja–Kaduna expressway apprehended 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka. He was found in possession of 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam.
Later that same day, a 52-year-old wanted drug dealer, Kabiru Musa (alias KB), was arrested at Kurmin Mashi. A prior raid on his base had yielded 25.7kg of skunk.
In Edo State:
Officers recovered 9kg of Loud from the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon with registration AAA 975 XU, driven by 45-year-old Atari Israel. Meanwhile, two young women, Favour Joy and Joy Igwe, were arrested on June 3 in the Ikpoba Hill area of Benin City. Recovered items included 106.57kg of skunk, 1kg of Loud, 800g of Colorado (another high-grade cannabis), and 302g of methamphetamine.
Customs Hands Over Suspect, 1,665kg of Cannabis to NDLEA
In a related development, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service handed over a drug suspect, 1,665kg of cannabis sativa, and a truck to the NDLEA for prosecution. The suspect is one of seven individuals apprehended for alleged smuggling in the Southwest region.
Customs Area Controller Mohammed Shuaibu disclosed this while showcasing recent seizures valued at N1.29 billion. According to him, the seizures reflect intensified intelligence-led operations.
On May 23 and 24, Customs patrol teams intercepted two 40-foot containers at Ijora-Olopa and Mile 2 areas of Lagos. Contents included:
- Seven Mitsubishi Canters
- Five Toyota Hiace buses
- Three mini shuttle buses
- Used bicycles
- 312 bales of printed wax
- 23 bales of used clothing
- 42 gas cylinders
- 30 used flat-screen TVs
- 65 tabletop cookers
- 31 used air conditioning units
These items violated provisions of Schedule 4 of the Common External Tariff.
In another operation on May 19, officers intercepted a Volvo truck carrying 1,263 used tyres. That same night, patrol officers on the Shagamu–Ijebu-Ode expressway in Ogun State stopped a truck with suspected uncustomed goods including bulletproof vests. Investigations also uncovered packages of tramadol among the cargo.
Authorities say all suspects will face prosecution as investigations continue.
