The Nationwide Drug Legislation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) has intercepted a number of consignments of illicit medicine hidden in uncommon gadgets akin to frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and feminine garments.
The gadgets have been sure for america, the UK, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by way of the Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport (MMIA) and a courier firm in Lagos.
The event was disclosed in an announcement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
“One in all them, a cargo agent, Boladale Riliwan, was arrested on seventh October 2025 following the invention of 15 parcels of skunk, a pressure of hashish, hid in 10 items of large rechargeable electrical bulbs he introduced in a carton for airfreight to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the export shed of the Lagos airport.
“One other suspect in custody is 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, who’s a UK-based Public Well being Assistant. She was arrested on Sunday, twelfth October on the departure corridor of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport, Ikeja, following the invention of frozen snails used to hide 2,300 capsules of tramadol 225mg in her baggage whereas heading to Manchester, United Kingdom, on a Qatar Airways flight.
“An try by one other syndicate to export 810 capsules of bromazepam hidden in feminine garments going to america was additionally thwarted by NDLEA officers at a courier firm in Lagos on Thursday, sixteenth October,” they said
Based on NDLEA, one of many suspects, Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent, was arrested on October 7, 2025, after he introduced 15 parcels of skunk hidden inside 10 large rechargeable electrical bulbs supposed for cargo to the DRC.
One other suspect, 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a UK-based Public Well being Assistant, was arrested on October 12, 2025, at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport, Ikeja. NDLEA officers found 2,300 tramadol capsules (225mg) hid inside frozen snails in her baggage whereas she was making ready to board a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester, UK.
The company additionally reported that on October 16, 2025, NDLEA officers at a courier firm in Lagos foiled an try and export 810 bromazepam capsules hidden in feminine clothes sure for america.
In Adamawa State, NDLEA operatives arrested Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South LGA, with 38,270 tramadol capsules hid within the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of a Honda Civic. The medicine have been reportedly smuggled from Benin Republic on October 12, 2025.
The company additionally destroyed 53,250 kilograms of skunk discovered on 21.3 hectares of hashish farmland in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti State, between October 12 and 13, 2025. Through the operation, NDLEA arrested Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20). One other 17,400 kilograms of skunk have been destroyed in Aponmu forest reserve, Akure, Ondo State, on October 12, 2025.
In Oyo State, 4 suspects, Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30) have been arrested with 596kg of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora, whereas Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25) have been caught with 273kg at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, on October 16, 2025.
Equally, in Ogun State, Joseph Andrew was arrested with 88kg of skunk at Ona-Imeko on October 15, 2025, whereas Festus Udoh (42) was caught with 13,000 capsules of opioids alongside the Onitsha–Owerri street, Imo State. NDLEA officers additionally recovered 74.5kg of skunk from Joseph Chukwujamaa’s retailer in Umuogbo-Agu village, Enugu State, on October 18, 2025.
In Lagos, operatives recovered 117kg of skunk from Ramoni Olukowi’s base in Mushin on October 18, 2025, and intercepted 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup from a container imported from India at Apapa Port on October 14, 2025, throughout a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service.
