Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a massive drug distribution network operating under the cover of a newly opened luxury hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos. Acting on credible intelligence, officers stormed the 80-room, five-storey building, popularly known as The Hook Hotel—also called Caesar Hotel and Caesar Lounge—at 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street, off Elsie Femi Pearse Street.
After hours of thorough search between Friday 25th and Saturday 26th April 2025, the agency recovered 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain weighing 417.3 kilograms, with a staggering street value of ₦1,042,500,000. Three suspects — Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh — were arrested at the scene, while two others, identified as Noble Philip and Kenneth, are currently on the run.
In addition to the narcotics, a trove of assets suspected to be proceeds from the drug trade was seized. These included luxury vehicles such as a Toyota Prado Landcruiser Jeep, a Toyota Sienna, a Volkswagen Delivery Van, a Kia Ceranto, and a Grand Caravan Dodge. Officers also recovered 74 new television sets, 10 used TVs, and 13 refrigerators, highlighting the extent to which the traffickers had laundered their proceeds into legitimate-looking businesses.
NDLEA Intercepts Over Two Million Tramadol Pills in Jigawa, Kano
In a separate major operation, NDLEA operatives disrupted a cross-border drug trafficking network with the seizure of over two million pills of tramadol and pregabalin. The operation began in the early hours of Wednesday 23rd April along the Kano-Ringim road in Gumel town, Jigawa State. Acting on intelligence, officers intercepted a Toyota Sienna marked ABJ 182 NW, arresting two suspects: Abba Ibrahim (28) and Shuaibu Umar (29).
A follow-up raid in Kano led to the arrest of Jamilu Muhammad (41) at his residence in the Mil Tara, Layin Technical area. Inside his home, agents discovered a further 1,584,000 pills of tramadol hidden in a Nissan 18-seater bus and stacked inside a room. Combined, the seizures from both Jigawa and Kano amounted to an alarming 2,001,500 pills, believed to be destined for illegal markets in Niger Republic and Yobe State.
The NDLEA’s swift actions dealt a significant blow to transnational drug trafficking networks operating through northern Nigeria, further demonstrating the agency’s intensified crackdown under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd).
Cocaine Hidden in Body Cream Seized en Route to Saudi Arabia
Barely a week after intercepting 20 parcels of cocaine concealed inside religious books bound for Saudi Arabia, NDLEA operatives struck again at a Lagos-based courier company. On Wednesday 23rd April, officers uncovered 46 wraps of cocaine, weighing 547 grams, hidden inside a package labeled as body cream, destined for the Middle East.
In a related interception at the same courier hub, agents also seized 1.8 kilograms of pentazocine injection and 60 grams of bromazepam tablets intended for shipment to Canada. These back-to-back seizures underline the increasingly sophisticated tactics deployed by drug cartels attempting to export narcotics through legitimate courier channels.
The NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) has intensified surveillance on international cargo routes, preventing Nigeria’s name from being further sullied by drug trafficking scandals abroad.
Ghanaian Women, Grandma Among Those Nabbed in Cross-Border Crackdown
Cross-border smuggling operations were not left unchecked. On Sunday 20th April, NDLEA operatives at the Seme border in Badagry arrested three Ghanaian women attempting to smuggle 4.8 kilograms of “Ghana Loud,” a premium-grade cannabis strain, into Nigeria. The suspects — Haziza Zubairu (42), Samirat Mustapha (43), and Jamila Salifu (26) — were intercepted at the Gbaji checkpoint with the contraband hidden in their belongings.
Meanwhile, in Kano State, agents apprehended 60-year-old Safiya Shamsu at Samegu area, Kumbotso LGA, with 5.6 kilograms of skunk, a powerful strain of cannabis. Another suspect, Muntari Labaran (35), was caught with 100 litres of codeine syrup in Yelwa area, Dala LGA. These arrests underscore the involvement of a diverse demographic, including elderly individuals, in drug trafficking.
The seizures and arrests reflect NDLEA’s growing success in curbing both internal and cross-border illicit drug flows, a major source of instability and public health crises.
Nationwide Efforts Intensify As NDLEA Expands WADA Advocacy
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA continues to prioritize drug demand reduction through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy programs. Over the past week, sensitization lectures were delivered to students and staff at Dan-Doro Community Arabic Secondary School in Katsina, St. James Anglican School in Kebbi, Federal Government Girls College, Tambuwal in Sokoto, and members of the Oganiru Age Grade group in Onitsha, Anambra State.
In Lagos, the NDLEA Strategic Command paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, HRM Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, emphasizing community partnerships in the fight against drug abuse. The campaigns aim to educate the youth and broader public on the dangers of substance use and the importance of communal vigilance.
While commending officers in Lagos, Kano, Jigawa, Edo, and Seme Commands for their outstanding achievements, Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Marwa (Rtd) reiterated the agency’s commitment to balancing drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts across the country, to secure a drug-free Nigeria.
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