NDLEA INTERCEPTS N16.9BN WORTH OF TRAMADOL AND CODEINE IN LAGOS

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By;Ganiyat Sunmola

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have uncovered three illicit drug warehouses concealed within a residential estate in the Okota area of Lagos State, with narcotics valued at approximately N16.9 billion recovered.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the agency said the raid led to the seizure of 2,360,000 pills of high-strength tramadol 225mg and 1,909,400 bottles of codeine syrup stored across the facilities.

According to the NDLEA, the intelligence-driven operation was conducted on Friday, April 17, 2026, at 98 Olukayode Awofisayo Street and 5 Charles Ndumetu Street, both located within Park View Estate along Ago Palace Way, Okota, where the warehouses were discovered.

The agency explained that the recovered items included 19,094 cartons containing codeine syrup bottles, as well as 34 cartons of tramadol tablets concealed within the estate.

Reacting to the seizure, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the operation as a significant blow to a drug trafficking network operating within residential areas.

He said the scale of the recovery—nearly 4.3 million units of controlled substances—demonstrates the agency’s growing capacity to stay ahead of criminal drug syndicates.

Marwa noted that the concealment of such large quantities in residential neighbourhoods highlights both the tactics of traffickers and the effectiveness of NDLEA’s intelligence-led operations.

He further warned that drug traffickers would find no safe haven in Nigeria, stressing that the agency would continue to identify, dismantle, and prosecute drug networks across the country.

The NDLEA said the operation is part of ongoing nationwide efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking and reduce substance abuse.