The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded major breakthroughs in its war against illicit drug trafficking, arresting two Brazil returnees, a businesswoman, and several suspects across Nigeria in a string of coordinated operations.

According to the agency, the suspects were apprehended with heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, tramadol, and large consignments of cannabis. The seizures, officials said, highlight the growing sophistication of traffickers and the agency’s resolve to dismantle such networks.

Brazil Returnees Caught with Heroin and Cocaine

Two Nigerians who recently returned from Brazil were arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle hard drugs into the country.

Ofoma Sunday, 46, was apprehended on 16 September upon arrival from São Paulo on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. A body scan confirmed he ingested narcotics. Over eight excretions, he expelled 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.45kg.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Nweke Jude Chukwudi, 55, at a hotel in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, where Ofoma had been instructed to excrete and hand over the drugs.

Similarly, Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu was intercepted on 19 September after arriving on another Ethiopian Airlines flight from Brazil via Addis Ababa. Under observation, he excreted five wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grams.

Ukachukwu confessed that he initially inserted nine wraps of cocaine but discarded two during transit in Ethiopia due to anal pain. He revealed that he had been deported from the United States in 2022 after an immigration offence before relocating to Brazil in 2025.

Businesswoman Conceals Meth in Underwear

In another operation, NDLEA officers at Lagos airport arrested Okolonkwo Ebere Theresa, a trader from Enugu, on 14 September. She was found concealing 1.40kg of methamphetamine in specially designed butt pad underwear while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha.

She admitted she was lured into the drug business while running a clothing and POS business.

Drugs Hidden in Food and Phone Chargers

At the NAHCO export shed on 15 September, operatives intercepted food items stuffed with 40 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 2.3kg destined for Hong Kong. A 59-year-old man, Umelo Ifeanyi Venatus, who presented the cargo, was arrested.

On 18 September, NDLEA discovered 257 grams of cocaine concealed inside seven phone chargers bound for New Zealand.

Nationwide Raids: Tramadol, Cannabis, and Opioids Seized

The crackdown extended across Nigeria:

Adamawa: 233,800 tramadol pills were recovered in multiple raids. One suspect, Rita Zira, was arrested with 27,900 pills in her bedroom, while another, Halilu Abubakar, 22, was caught with 10,300 pills at a checkpoint.

Zamfara: NDLEA and Community Protection Guards seized 109 bags of cannabis skunk weighing 1,099.4kg from a truck driven by Hammed Danladi Aliyu, 40.

Yobe: Two suspects were caught with 14,000 tramadol capsules on the Damaturu–Potiskum road.

Taraba: Anas Hamisu, 28, was arrested with three sacks of cannabis weighing 25.5kg.

Edo: Two cannabis farms covering 4.53 hectares with a yield of over 11 tonnes were destroyed. Three suspects were arrested at the scene.

NDLEA Vows to Sustain War Against Drug Abuse

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers involved in the operations, stressing the agency’s commitment to safeguarding communities from drug syndicates.

“These arrests and seizures represent a significant milestone in our determined effort to dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in Nigeria and around the world, prioritizing those bent on targeting our productive youth population with illicit substances until they’re no longer able to inflict harm on our communities or misrepresent our country’s image in the global space,” he said.

The agency also revealed that its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programme reached schools, worship centres, and communities nationwide during the same period.

…..After Committing Attempted Murder in Lagos.

In furtherance to curtailing all forms of crimes and criminality in Lagos State, the State Commissioner of Police Olohundare Moshood Jimoh has once again proved his mettles with another Record breaking achievement by the Investigation branch of the Command.

The Crime bursting dexterity of police detectives of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba Lagos State came to reckon again with its recent and painstaking nabbing of a notorious Criminal in faraway northern Axis of the country.

The alleged blood thirsty robber, One Adewale Mathew purportedly went underground went after Committing heinous crimes of robbery and attempted Murder in Lagos. The suspect had on 19th July, 2025. at Chevron Lekki Axis, Area of Lagos State. Violently attacked a popular Nigerian hip hop artist Keshinro Ololade Sodiq popularly known as Lil Kesh at his female acquaintance apartment where the celebrity visited at Chrevron, Lekki area of Lagos State.

Gaining access into the apartment through the rear window and armed with two sharp kitchen knives, the suspect with dare devil precision, sliced the throat and stomach of the musician as he violently robbed him of his wearing apparels including Gold, Necklace, Diamond Ring and Bracelets worth millions of naira.

In the course of the ugly incident, the suspect was alleged to have forcefully demanded for Kesh’s bank details and cell phone passwords which he used to transact and purchase from a gold dealer based in Tejuosho Yaba, Lagos of gold worth five million two hundred thousand naira.

The suspected armed robber was said to have personally proceeded to claim the gold after leaving Kesh in his pool of blood. In View of the subject above CP Lagos Olohundare Jimoh Moshood swiftly directed DCP in charge of State CID Panti Lagos to burst the crime and bring the perpetrators to instant Justice. A combined team of seasoned financial crimes Detectives and Anti-Robbery Operatives From the Department was meticulously selected by the order of the Officer-in-Charge Deputy Commissioner of Police Dayo Akinbisehin and despatched to Kano State as they reportedly stormed the ancient city earlier last week, where the fleeing suspect was arrested in his hideout and whisked back to Lagos on Wednessday the 17th September, 2025. for interrogation and prosecution.

Meanwhile, the case was said to have taken a different dimension where in the event of being grilled, Adewale Mathew confessed to the crime and indicted Lil Kesh’s host, a female companion (names witheld) as the main architect and masterminder of the robbery scheme.

Following the allegation, Investigation is currently ongoing to ascertain the Propriety or otherwise of the suspected dare devil robbers claim of dragging LIL Kesh’s host as an accomplice to the heinous crime, in line with supporting evidence being gathered. All the suspects including the security guards of the property where the incident took place are currently helping the police in it’s discreet Investigation.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, Applauds the gallantry and commitment of the operatives of State CID Panti, Lagos State that led to the successful arrest of this notorious suspect.

CP Olohundare Jimoh Seizes this medium to reaffirm his unwavering committment to rid the entirety of Lagos State of Criminal elements, as Lagos Police Command remains resolute and relentless in pursuing offenders and dismantling their Network chain while seeking cooperation and Vital informations from members of the Public.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has issued a strong warning to transport unions and associations over the use of unauthorised stickers as vehicle identifiers while announcing the deployment of drones to improve traffic management and security surveillance across the state.

General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the practice of using “Union Stickers” instead of official vehicle registration plates was illegal, unsafe, and a breach of existing transport regulations in Lagos.

According to him, “Any vehicle discovered navigating the roadways under the guise of ‘Union Sticker’ identifiers, or other unauthorised symbols, shall be summarily impounded, and the culpable parties shall face full sanctions under the provisions of the law.”

He explained that every vehicle in Lagos must be registered through authorised government agencies to ensure proper identification, security, and law enforcement. The proliferation of unauthorised stickers, he warned, undermines traffic safety and poses a threat to public security.

“Such adherence is not merely a matter of administrative orderliness but also a paramount safeguard for the collective security and well-being of all Lagosians,” Mr Bakare-Oki stressed.

To enforce compliance, LASTMA said it would work with security agencies to intensify surveillance on major routes, ensuring that violators are penalised and road safety is protected.

Drone deployment for traffic control

In a separate development, LASTMA unveiled the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), popularly known as drones, as part of a new digital intelligence strategy to monitor traffic, boost emergency response, and improve security.

Mr Bakare-Oki described the initiative as “a watershed moment in Lagos’ traffic management ecosystem” that shifts operations from reactive enforcement to predictive, intelligence-driven oversight.

He explained: “This transition transcends the mere acquisition of equipment; it embodies a strategic reformation that positions LASTMA at the forefront of digital governance in traffic management. These drones will provide real-time aerial oversight, enabling swifter interventions, improved safety outcomes, augmented emergency response coordination, bolstered security frameworks, and the cultivation of a more disciplined motoring culture.”

The agency reassured Lagosians that the drone operations would follow strict privacy guidelines and ethical standards.

LASTMA said the technology is part of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ Agenda, which prioritises innovation and technology to make Lagos safer and more liveable.

The agency also noted that drones would complement its toll-free hotline 080000527862, ensuring quicker responses to accidents, emergencies, and traffic disruptions.

Outlook

The Lagos State Government has urged transport stakeholders to cooperate fully with LASTMA, warning that illegal practices such as the use of stickers instead of registration plates will no longer be tolerated.

By combining tougher enforcement with new drone technology, LASTMA says it is determined to safeguard lives, reduce travel times, and improve traffic discipline across Africa’s busiest city.