The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a suspected major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in Niger State and uncovered a clandestine codeine syrup manufacturing factory in Abia State during coordinated nationwide operations.
The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, December 14, 2025, by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja.
The arrests and seizures form part of the agency’s broader push to disrupt drug supply chains linked to violent crime, cross-border trafficking, and the domestic abuse of controlled substances.
What they are saying
According to the NDLEA, operatives arrested 33-year-old Mohammed Sani, also known as Gamboli, after weeks of intelligence-led tracking in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The agency said he had earlier escaped during a raid on his residence on November 20, when 471.8 kilograms of skunk were recovered, but was eventually arrested on December 11 at a drug joint in Kuta. Intelligence reports described him as a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in the area.
In Abia State, the agency said its officers raided a clandestine codeine syrup factory in Osisioma Local Government Area, where 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup weighing about 1,152.2 kilograms were recovered.
Arrests and seizures across states
The agency also recorded multiple arrests and seizures in other parts of the country. In Enugu State, two suspects were arrested along major highways with a combined 101.8 kilograms of skunk.
In Oyo State, a raid on a notorious drug joint known as Beere the California led to the seizure of skunk, synthetic cannabis, and methamphetamine, with one suspect arrested while the alleged owner remains at large.
Further operations in Ogun State resulted in the arrest of three suspects and the seizure of 98 kilograms of skunk. In Ondo State, NDLEA officers arrested a 55-year-old woman and her 29-year-old son in Ogbese, Akure North Local Government Area, where 1,187 kilograms of skunk and its seeds were recovered.
- In Edo State, operatives seized 461 kilograms of skunk during a raid in Owan East Local Government Area. In Gombe State, arrests led to the recovery of 40,000 capsules of tramadol and an additional 56 kilograms of skunk.
- At the Seme border in Lagos, two suspects were arrested with 50,000 pills of tramadol, while at courier facilities in Lagos, NDLEA intercepted consignments of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline, and bromazepam concealed in black soap containers and designer clothing, bound for the United States, Canada, and Sweden.
- At the Apapa seaport, officers intercepted a container holding 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing over 23,000 kilograms during a joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
WADA sensitisation
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said its commands across the country continued War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities during the week. These included lectures in secondary schools in Katsina, Kano, Benue, and advocacy visits to traditional institutions, including the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers across the various commands for their operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control efforts nationwide
What you should know
The NDLEA has recently continued to step up enforcement efforts against illicit drugs across the country, reflecting broader trends in Nigeria’s battle with narcotics supply and abuse. In late November, the agency reported recovering an estimated N6.7 billion worth of tramadol pills and codeine syrups during a targeted sting operation in Lagos, underscoring the scale of opioid trafficking challenges it faces.
Earlier in November, the agency also intercepted 20 kilograms of cocaine hidden on a vessel bound for Brazil at the Apapa port in Lagos in collaboration with other security partners, showing the international dimensions of its interdiction work.
