NDLEA intercepts ₦3.9bn tramadol shipment, arrests Indian businessman, accomplices
Story from Jameel Lawan Yakasai
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended an Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, along with three Nigerian accomplices: Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode, and Bakare Korede Muheeb. The arrests are in connection with the seizure of 2,248,000 pills of tramadol, with a street value of ₦3.99 billion, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
The shipment, which originated from Delhi, India, arrived at the airport’s import shed on an Ethiopian Airline flight on Monday, September 8, 2025. The illicit drugs were cleverly disguised as multi-vitamins and packed in 114 cartons.
NDLEA operatives, who had been monitoring the consignment, moved in on Thursday, September 11, arresting a clearing agent and two drivers who were attempting to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks. A follow-up operation the next day, Friday, led to the arrest of Gupta Ravi Kumar as he tried to take delivery of the drugs.
READ ALSO: NDLEA smashes drug cartel, arrests 3 kingpins, intercepts ₦5.3bn cocaine
In a separate incident at the airport on Sunday, September 7, NDLEA operatives intercepted a passenger, Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi, who was traveling on a Qatar Airline flight to Doha. A search of his bag revealed 900 grams of skunk, a type of cannabis, hidden inside crayfish. As a first-time traveler, Onyeganochi claimed the bag was given to him by a Qatar-based Nigerian, Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna, who had followed him to the airport.
Onyeganochi’s confession led to the immediate arrest of Uchenna, who was still at the airport.
A search of Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao estate uncovered an additional 200 grams of the substance. He confessed that he planned to return to Doha later to retrieve the bag from the unsuspecting Onyeganochi, assuming the drug-filled bag had successfully passed security checks.
NDLEA has also reported several other major drug busts. At the Tincan Port in Lagos, a joint examination of a 40-foot container from Montreal, Canada, on Tuesday, September 9, yielded 161 parcels of Canadian Loud (an 81.7 kg strain of cannabis) and 1.2 kg of hashish oil. Two suspects, John Ochigbo and Okeke Kingsley, were taken into custody.
Another 65 kg shipment of Canadian Loud was tracked from the port and intercepted on the Third Mainland Bridge on Thursday, September 11. The driver of the Toyota Sienna vehicle, Abubakar Ibrahim, was arrested.
Additionally, two separate shipments of methamphetamine and Loud were seized at courier companies in Lagos. The meth, concealed in a picture frame, was headed for Gabon, while the Loud, hidden in video players, was destined for the United Arab Emirates.
In Ikorodu, Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided a factory on Thursday, September 11, that was producing “skuchies,” a mix of cannabis and black currant drink.
They recovered 6,029 bottles of the substance and 4,232 kg of cannabis, and arrested the factory manager, Joy Awosika. On the same day, another suspect, Akeem Oriola, was arrested in Mushin, Lagos, with 26 kg of skunk.
In Abuja, a dispatch rider, Godsplan Vincent, was arrested with 50.7 grams of cocaine and 66 grams of Loud. In Oyo State, three women, Faidat Azeez, Alanu Fatimoh, and Mojeed Taiwo, were arrested with 17 kg of skunk.
Further operations across the country resulted in more arrests and seizures, including:
100,000 pills of tramadol in Kano.
196 liters of “Akuskura” (a new psychoactive substance) in Kano.
19.2 kg of Methamphetamine and skunk from a couple, Nzube and Ebele Onyedika, in Anambra.
394 kg of skunk from three trans-border traffickers in Ogun State.
The destruction of a 6.7-hectare cannabis farm in Edo State, where 16,966 kg of skunk were destroyed and four suspects were arrested.
The NDLEA also continued its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, places of worship, and communities across the country.
In a statement, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended his officers and urged them to continue their “balanced approach” to drug control efforts.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp:
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
