The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs hidden in unusual items such as frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and female clothes.
The items were bound for the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos.
The development was disclosed in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
“One of them, a cargo agent, Boladale Riliwan, was arrested on 7th October 2025 following the discovery of 15 parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, concealed in 10 pieces of giant rechargeable electrical bulbs he presented in a carton for airfreight to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the export shed of the Lagos airport.
“Another suspect in custody is 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, who is a UK-based Public Health Assistant. She was arrested on Sunday, 12th October at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, following the discovery of frozen snails used to conceal 2,300 pills of tramadol 225mg in her luggage while heading to Manchester, United Kingdom, on a Qatar Airways flight.
“An attempt by another syndicate to export 810 pills of bromazepam hidden in female clothes going to the United States was also thwarted by NDLEA officers at a courier company in Lagos on Thursday, 16th October,” they stated
Illicit exports intercepted in Lagos
According to NDLEA, one of the suspects, Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent, was arrested on October 7, 2025, after he presented 15 parcels of skunk hidden inside 10 giant rechargeable electrical bulbs intended for shipment to the DRC.
Another suspect, 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a UK-based Public Health Assistant, was arrested on October 12, 2025, at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. NDLEA officers discovered 2,300 tramadol pills (225mg) concealed inside frozen snails in her luggage while she was preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester, UK.
The agency also reported that on October 16, 2025, NDLEA officers at a courier company in Lagos foiled an attempt to export 810 bromazepam pills hidden in female clothing bound for the United States.
Drug seizures across Nigerian states
In Adamawa State, NDLEA operatives arrested Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South LGA, with 38,270 tramadol pills concealed in the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of a Honda Civic. The drugs were reportedly smuggled from Benin Republic on October 12, 2025.
The agency also destroyed 53,250 kilograms of skunk found on 21.3 hectares of cannabis farmland in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti State, between October 12 and 13, 2025. During the operation, NDLEA arrested Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20). Another 17,400 kilograms of skunk were destroyed in Aponmu forest reserve, Akure, Ondo State, on October 12, 2025.
In Oyo State, four suspects, Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30) were arrested with 596kg of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora, while Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25) were caught with 273kg at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, on October 16, 2025.
Similarly, in Ogun State, Joseph Andrew was arrested with 88kg of skunk at Ona-Imeko on October 15, 2025, while Festus Udoh (42) was caught with 13,000 pills of opioids along the Onitsha–Owerri road, Imo State. NDLEA officers also recovered 74.5kg of skunk from Joseph Chukwujamaa’s store 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, during a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service.
