Toba Owojaiye reporting
Abuja, Nigeria
In a sweeping offensive against Nigeria’s drug underworld, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized illicit substances valued at over ₦1.042 billion during a major raid on an 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, allegedly operating as a drug distribution hub.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the operation—carried out between Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, 2025—culminated in the recovery of 589 bags of “Canadian Loud,” a highly potent cannabis strain, weighing 417.3 kilograms. The street value of the confiscated drugs is estimated at ₦1,042,500,000.
Truth Live News gathered that three suspects—Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh—were arrested at the five-storey hotel complex identified as The Hook Hotel (also known as Caesar Hotel and Caesar Lounge) located at 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street, off Elsie Femi Pearse Street, Victoria Island.
Two other suspects, Noble Philip and his partner Kenneth, remain on the run.
Assets suspected to be proceeds from drug activities were also recovered, including luxury vehicles such as a Toyota Prado Land Cruiser Jeep, a Toyota Sienna, a Volkswagen Delivery Van, a Kia Cerato, and a Grand Caravan Dodge, along with 74 new television sets, 10 used TVs, and 13 refrigerators, among other items.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted another Saudi Arabia-bound shipment of 46 wraps of cocaine (547 grams) cleverly concealed in body creams at a Lagos courier firm on Wednesday, April 23.
On the same day, authorities seized 1.8kg of pentazocine injections and 60 grams of bromazepam tablets intended for shipment to Canada.
In Jigawa State, a separate intelligence-led operation along the Kano-Ringim Road in Gumel Town led to the arrest of Abba Ibrahim (28) and Shuaibu Umar (29) with over 400,000 pills of tramadol and pregabalin. A swift follow-up raid in Kano netted another suspect, Jamilu Muhammad (41), and an additional 1.5 million tramadol pills, bringing total recoveries to over 2 million opioid pills.
At the Seme Border in Lagos, three Ghanaian women—Haziza Zubairu (42), Samirat Mustapha (43), and Jamila Salifu (26)—were apprehended while attempting to smuggle 4.8kg of Ghana Loud cannabis into Nigeria.
Further arrests were made in Kano, where a 60-year-old grandmother, Safiya Shamsu, was caught with 5.6kg of skunk, and Muntari Labaran (35) was arrested for possession of 100 litres of codeine syrup.
In Edo State, a raid on cannabis farms in Ugbodu community, Ovia North East LGA, led to the destruction of 3,814.9kg of skunk and the arrest of Samuel Samson (26), Daniel Peter (20), and Abel Edah (31).
NDLEA’s Dual Strategy: Supply Reduction and Demand Control
The NDLEA’s fight is not limited to drug seizures and arrests. Its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continues nationwide, with sensitization programs recently conducted at:
Dan-Doro Community Arabic Secondary School, Doro, Katsina
St. James Anglican School, Badariya, Kebbi
Federal Government Girls College, Tambuwal, Sokoto
Oganiru Age Grade, Onitsha, Anambra
In Lagos, the agency’s State Command paid a courtesy visit to the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, HRM Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, seeking traditional institution support in the war against drugs.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across Lagos, Kano, Jigawa, Edo, and Seme Commands for their professionalism, highlighting the agency’s holistic approach targeting both the supply chains and demand-side drivers of drug abuse.
Nigeria’s drug landscape has shifted dramatically in the last decade, with traffickers becoming increasingly sophisticated and syndicates exploiting porous borders, courier firms, and even upscale establishments as conduits.
Under Marwa’s leadership, the NDLEA has intensified its operations, leading to the seizure of over 6,000 tons of illicit drugs and the arrest of more than 40,000 suspects since 2021. Over 8,000 convictions have been secured, and thousands of hectares of cannabis farms have been destroyed.
However, experts warn that the war is far from over. Recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports rank Nigeria among the top five transit countries for illicit drugs into Europe and Asia. Locally, the 2023 National Drug Use Survey estimated that 14.4% of Nigerians aged 15-64 are involved in drug use, nearly triple the global average.
The NDLEA’s strategy thus involves not just seizures and arrests but also prevention, treatment, and community-based rehabilitation. The WADA campaign, partnerships with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and schools, and the establishment of drug rehabilitation centers nationwide form key pillars of this multipronged fight.