The NDLEA announced on Wednesday that its Special Operations Unit carried out an intelligence-led raid on a cartel’s warehouse located at 23 Sunny Billa East Street, Bucknor, Isheri area of Isolo, Lagos State. The operation followed credible intelligence that the syndicate was preparing to distribute massive quantities of illicit substances ahead of the festive season.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the raid led to the arrest of Onyekachi Pius Nwanagu, identified as the cartel’s leader, along with five members of his gang. The agency recovered 7.2 million pills of Tramadol 225mg and 526,200 bottles (52.6 million ml) of codeine syrup, all stored in the residential compound.
Babafemi explained that the seizure, valued at N6.7 billion, represents one of the largest opioid busts in recent years. He stressed that the operation was part of NDLEA’s ongoing offensive against drug trafficking organisations, which have increasingly used residential estates to conceal their activities.
The NDLEA noted that the cartel had planned to flood the market with the drugs during the Christmas season, a move that could have had devastating consequences for public health and security. The suspects are currently in custody and will face prosecution under Nigeria’s anti-narcotics laws.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd.) commended the operatives for their swift action and reiterated the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug networks across the country. He warned traffickers that the NDLEA will continue to pursue them relentlessly, regardless of their methods of concealment.
Implications
Public Health: The seizure prevents millions of opioid pills and bottles of codeine from entering circulation, averting potential abuse.
Law Enforcement: The bust highlights NDLEA’s growing reliance on intelligence-led operations to penetrate sophisticated cartels.
Community Safety: The discovery of such a stash in a residential estate underscores the risks posed to ordinary citizens living near cartel hideouts.
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