NDLEA secures forfeiture order for illicit opioids worth N33.6bn
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has secured an interim forfeiture order for 17 containers loaded with illicit opioids valued at over N33.6 billion, following a ruling by the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
The containers were intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne on multiple dates between April and September 2025, containing millions of pills of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, as well as millions of bottles of Codeine syrup.
According to the agency, the total haul comprised 19.6 million opioid pills and 2.49 million bottles of codeine syrup, with a combined street value estimated at N33.69 billion.
The forfeiture order was granted by Adamu Turaki Mohammed after the NDLEA filed an ex parte motion in suit number FHC/PH/MISC/25/2026, seeking the temporary transfer of ownership of the seized items to the federal government.
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed stated, “An order is hereby made forfeiting in the interim to the Federal Government of Nigeria seventeen shipping containers containing various types of psychotropic substances illegally imported into Nigeria through the Onne Sea Port.”
Reacting, NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa described the development as a major blow to drug cartels, saying, “This is not just a seizure, it is a total dispossession of the resources the drug cartels intended to use in destroying the lives of our youths and funding further criminality.”
He further commended the judiciary, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other stakeholders for their collaboration, noting that such partnerships remain critical to dismantling drug networks across the country.
Meanwhile, the agency also praised its officers at the Onne Port Command and international partners for their vigilance, intelligence sharing and operational support, reiterating its resolve to sustain the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking nationwide.
