The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have uncovered and dismantled a major illicit drug storage network in Lagos, seizing millions of controlled pharmaceutical substances in the process.
In a statement by the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA, the operation, carried out on April 17, 2026, led to the discovery of three warehouses located within Park View Estate and Okota areas of Lagos State.
At the locations—98 Olukayode Awofisayo Street and 5 Charles Ndumetu Street, both in Park View Estate, Ago Palace, Okota—officers recovered large quantities of illicit drugs concealed in cartons.
According to the agency, the raid yielded 2,360,000 tablets of tramadol 225mg and 1,909,400 bottles of codeine syrup, packed in 19,094 cartons, with additional cartons containing high-potency opioids.
The NDLEA estimates the street value of the seized substances at over N16.9 billion.
Reacting to the operation, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the bust as a significant blow to the pharmaceutical drug black market and drug trafficking networks in the country.
Marwa praised the operatives involved, saying the scale of the seizure demonstrates the agency’s growing intelligence capabilities and determination to stay ahead of criminal syndicates.
He noted that the discovery of such large volumes of illicit drugs within residential estates highlights the lengths to which traffickers go to conceal their activities.
Marwa also reiterated that there is no safe haven for drug traffickers in Nigeria, warning that the agency will continue to track, dismantle, and prosecute drug networks across the country.
The NDLEA says investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest members of the syndicate behind the illegal stockpile.
