Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a major opioid trafficking cartel and recovered illicit drugs valued at over N6.7 billion in a covert operation carried out in Lagos.
In a statement issued yesterday, the agency said its Special Operations Unit arrested an alleged drug baron, Onyekachi Nwanagu, along with five members of his syndicate, after raiding a secret warehouse used to store massive quantities of tramadol and codeine syrup in a residential estate.
Massive Cache Seized Ahead of Festive Season
According to the NDLEA, credible intelligence revealed that the cartel planned to distribute 7.2 million pills of tramadol 225mg and 526,200 bottles (52.6 million mls) of codeine syrup from the warehouse located at 23 Sunny Billa East Street, Bucknor, Isheri, Isolo, ahead of the Christmas period.
The agency said a coordinated operation took place between 19 and 20 November 2025.
On November 19, officers trailed and arrested two syndicate members — Egbo Udalor and Chukwe Emmanuel — at Apple Junction, Festac, while they were conveying 300 cartons of opioids in a truck.
A follow-up raid on the warehouse the next day led to the arrest of Nwanagu and three other members of the cartel: Nwoye Ali, Nnacho Ogochukwu, and Oraghalia Philip.
N6.7bn Street Value
The NDLEA confirmed that the drugs seized include:
- 7,272,000 pills of tramadol 225mg valued at N3.96 billion
- 53 million mls of codeine syrup valued at N2.762 billion
The agency said the recovered substances were evacuated from the estate using 11 trucks and transferred to its central exhibit complex in Lagos.
Marwa: ‘A Major Blow to Drug Cartels’
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), commended the officers involved in the operation, describing the breakthrough as a significant victory for Nigeria.
“This is not just an arrest; it is a clear and unambiguous statement,” Marwa said.
“The seizure of this colossal volume of illicit drugs—which could have fueled addiction, crime, and insecurity across our nation—represents a victory for the Nigerian people and a confirmation of our unwavering commitment to the mandate given to us by President Bola Tinubu.”
He noted that the agency’s operations remain focused on dismantling major drug cartels, adding:
“The days when drug barons thought they were untouchable are over.”
