7.6m Tramadol Pills, 76,273kg Colorado, Skunk Seized in Delta, Imo, Adamawa raids

–  As Customs seizes N720m worth of Tramadol, Indian hemp in Katsina

Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recovered over 7.6 million pills of tramadol and a total of 76,273.4 kilograms of different strains of cannabis including Colorado, Loud and Skunk with several members of drug trafficking organisations linked to the seizures arrested.

Meanwhile, the Katsina Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 698,600 tabs of tramadol and 174 wraps of Indian hemp worth N720 million in the state.

The NCS revealed this Sunday while showcasing the achievements of the command’s outgoing Controller who has been promoted to Assistant Comptroller General, Idriss Abba-Aji.

On its part, a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said the success was recorded via series of intelligence-led operations across the country.

Babafemi said out of the total opioids seized during the raids, not less than 3,874,000 pills of tramadol 225mg and 100mg, and others as well as 252.2 litres of codeine syrup were recovered from a warehouse at Oko Market, Asaba, Delta State on Saturday, while no fewer than 1.2 million tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from a suspect Kelechi Nwako last Wednesday when NDLEA operatives on patrol at Orogwe, along Onitsha-Owerri Road, Imo State, intercepted his vehicle conveying the consignment which was loaded at Aba, Abia state, heading to Onitsha, Anambra State.

In Adamawa State, NDLEA officers last Monday intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus marked MGU 554 XB along Maraba-Mubi coming from Jos, Plateau State, going to Mubi with a total of 1, 577,112 capsules of tramadol and exol-5 tablets, all concealed inside jumbo bags mixed with new rubber sandals and slippers.

Two suspects: Kabiru Buba, 25, and Hamza Abubakar, 32, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

Similarly, another suspect, Mudansir Rabiu, 27, was nabbed along Zaria-Kano Road, Kano State with 197,000 pills of exol-5.

Babafemi added that operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA stormed forests in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State where they destroyed 14,654 kilogrammes of skunk and arrested two suspects: Yusuf Iliyasu, 50, and Okumu Chinedu, 26.

In another operation, the operatives last Tuesday stormed the forests in Asin-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area, Ekiti State, where they destroyed 54,300 kilogrammes of skunk in two large warehouses that were razed while 28.3 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance were recovered for the purpose of prosecution.

The spokesman said following actionable intelligence, NDLEA operatives last Tuesday raided Igoba Forest in Akure North Local Government Area, Ondo State where a total of 2,483 compressed blocks of skunk and 247 bags of same substance all weighing 5,442 kilogrammes were recovered and five suspects arrested.

Those nabbed include: Jacob Omodowo, 66; Joy Oluatobi Peace, 24; Babatunde Olamide, 40; Echi Fidelis Joseph, 57; and Ankrah Akano, 56.

While 500 kilogrammes of same substance was recovered from a Mercedes Benz van marked MGU 614 XB by NDLEA officers on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road in Niger State last Thursday with the driver Amos Yakubu, 46, arrested, operatives in the FCT Abuja last Wednesday intercepted a consignment of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, weighing 22 kilogrammes at Abaji expressway.

A follow up operation at the Jabi park in Abuja led to the arrest of a female receiver, Ali Blessing, 33.

Also, in the FCT, a suspect Aliyu Usman, 39, was arrested by operatives last Friday with 24 kilogrammes skunk and 573,500 pills of exol-5 along Kwali-Gwagwalada expressway.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 217 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 113 kilogrammes from a suspect Ezenwa Udoka at Ladipo market, Mushin, while Izuchukwu Usulor was nabbed with 351 kilogrammes skunk at Onipanu area last Friday and Susan Okoro arrested with 104.1 kilogrammes of same psychoactive substance at Trade Fair complex, Ojo, last Tuesday,

A total of 447.5 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from two Honda Accord cars marked: ABC-678 KK and GGE-772 FB at Agho Forest, Akoko Edo Local Government Area, Edo State.

A suspect Dada Babawibi, 56, was apprehended in connection with the seizure. A raid operation at a warehouse in the Isiefve community, Ohuwunde Local Government Area led to the seizure of 315.8kg of skunk and the arrest of a suspect Stanley Obasuwa.

Babafemi said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of SOU, Delta, Adamawa, Imo, Ondo, Lagos, Kano, FCT, Niger and Edo command of the agency for the arrests and seizures, stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.

On the Katsina Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service drug seizure, a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Bello Isah, said the contrabands were seized between July 2024 to November 2025 under the leadership of Abba-Aji.

“The Command recently made a remarkable seizure of 698,600 tabs of Tramadol and 174 wraps of Indian hemp worth 720 million, reflecting its continued vigilance and commitment to curbing illegal activities”, the statement added.

Isah, in the statement, said the revenue collection of the command within the period under review was low due to the continued closure of some approved borders in the state.

He said even the reopened Jibia/Magama border was inactive because of what he termed political impasse between “Niger and the Benin Republic, which led to the closure of Niger’s borders with Benin, thus affecting Jibia’s operation.”

He noted, however, that Abba-Aji has resolved the prolonged conflicts between Customs officers and border communities in the state during his tenure as Area Controller of the command.