NDLEA raids 3 warehouses in Lagos, recovers N16.9bn drugs

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided three illicit drug warehouses hidden in a residential estate in the Okota area of Lagos State, recovering opioids worth N16.9 billion.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Wednesday, said the high-stakes intelligence-led coordinated operations were conducted at Park View Estate, Ago Palace, Okota, on April 17, 2026.

Babafemi listed the illicit drugs recovered from the three warehouses to include 19,094 cartons containing 1,909,400 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,360,000 pills of high-potency tramadol 225mg pills in another 34 cartons, with a combined street value of N16,927,200,000.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (rtd), said the successful operations have dealt a staggering blow to the heart of the pharmaceutical drug black market, leading to the dismantling of a major drug syndicate in the country.

Marwa expressed his profound pride in the operatives involved, describing the seizure as a monumental victory in the ongoing fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.

He said: “The scale of this recovery, nearly 4.3 million units of lethal substances, is a testament to the fact that our officers are staying several steps ahead of these merchants of death.

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“To find such volumes hidden within residential estates like Park View and busy hubs like Okota shows the desperation of these cartels, but it also highlights the peerless intelligence capabilities of our team.”

The NDLEA boss reiterated that there is no safe haven for drug traffickers in Nigeria, adding that whether they hide their illicit goods in elite mansions or suburban warehouses, the anti-drug agency’s reach is long and its resolve is firm.

“Let this be a clear signal to those who think they can profit from the destruction of our children’s futures: we will find you, we will dismantle your networks, and we will bring the full weight of the law upon you,” Marwa said.