Indian Businessman, 3 Others Arrested Over N3.9bn Tramadol Intercepted at Lagos Airport

•As NDLEA destroys 18,000kg of Cannabis in Edo forest, arrests four suspects

Michael Olugbode in Lagos and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

An Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, and three Nigerian accomplices, Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode, and Bakare Korede Muheeb, have been arrested by operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in connection with the seizure of 2,248,000 pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg intercepted at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the tramadol shipment worth N3,990,000,000 in street value, was imported from Delhi, India, disguised as multi-vitamins, in 114 cartons, and arrived the import shed of the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airline flight last Monday.

In a related development, operatives of NDLEA, Edo State Command, destroyed over 18,000 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa in one raid operation targeting cannabis cultivators in the state.

The onslaught took place on September 11, 2025, at Ugbogui Forest, in Ovia South West Local Government Area of the state.

Babafemi said a team of NDLEA officers, who had put the drug consignment recovered in Lagos under surveillance, swooped on a clearing agent and two drivers who were trying to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks last Thursday.

He added that a follow up operation the following day led to the arrest of the Indian businessman, when he was trying to take delivery of the consignment.

Babafemi said at Terminal 2 Departure Gate of the airport, NDLEA operatives on Sunday, September 7, intercepted a passenger, Onyeganochi Ifeanyi, travelling on a Qatar Airline flight to Doha. He said a search of Ifeanyi’s bag led to the recovery of 900 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis concealed in crayfish.

Ifeanyi, a first-time traveller, claimed the bag was given to him to help take to Doha by a Qatar-based Nigerian, Ohadiegwu Uchenna, who followed him to the airport.

Babafemi said Ifeanyi’s confession led to the arrest of Uchenna who was still within view. Operatives, who later conducted a search of Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao Estate discovered additional 200 grams of the same psychoactive substance, and he claimed he was to return to Doha days later and pick the bag from the unsuspecting Ifeanyi if he had succeeded in escaping security checks.

Babafemi said at the Tincan Port in Lagos, a total of 161 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 81.7 kilogrammes and 1.2 kilogrammes hashish oil were recovered from a 40-ft container of vehicle spare parts and used vehicles imported from Montreal, Canada, during a joint examination of the shipment last Tuesday.

He disclosed that two suspects – John Ochigbo, 53, and Okeke Kingsley, 26 – had been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.

Another shipment of Canadian Loud with a total weight of 65 kilogrammes was tracked from the port to Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, where NDLEA operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle conveying the consignment, recovered it, and arrested the driver, Abubakar Ibrahim, 42, on Thursday September 11.

Two separate shipments of methamphetamine concealed in picture frame, and Loud hidden in video players, were seized at two courier companies in Lagos on Monday, September 8, and Thursday, September 11, respectively, by NDLEA operatives.

While six grams of meth recovered from the picture frame were meant for delivery in Gabon, 1.1 kilogrammes Loud in the decoder machines were heading to the United Arab Emirates.

In Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence last Thursday, raided a factory producing skuchies, a blend of cannabis and black currant drink.

No less than 6,029 bottles of the new psychoactive substance and 4,232 kilogrammes of cannabis were recovered from the factory located in Caritas, Ibeshe area of Ikorodu, while the factory manager, Joy Awosika, was arrested.

Another suspect, Akeem Oriola, was same day arrested in Mushin area of Lagos with 26 kilogrammes skunk.

In Abuja, NDLEA operatives on a stop and search operation at Utako area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) last Thursday arrested a dispatch rider, Godsplan Vincent, 29, while on a mission to distribute 50.7 grams of cocaine and 66 grams of Loud.

Three female suspects – Faidat Azeez, 25; Alanu Fatimoh, 40, and Mojeed Taiwo, 25 – were arrested in Lagbondoko and Akitan areas of Oyo town, Oyo State, in connection with the seizure of 17 kilogrammes of skunk found in their possession.

No fewer than 100,000 pills of Tramadol 200mg/225mg were seized from a suspect, Musa Shuaibu, 38, at Gadar Tamburawa, along Zaria – Kano Road last Monday, while 196 litres of Akuskura, a new psychoactive substance, were recovered from Abubakar Adamu, 35, at Na’ibawa area of Kano by NDLEA operatives.

They also seized 34.1 kilogrammes skunk, 493 tubes of rubber solution, and 25 litres of “suck and die”, an NPS, from Basiru Umar, 18, at Wailari area, Kumbotso Local Government Area, Kano State, last Thursday.

In Anambra State, a couple – Nzube Onyedika, 41, and Ebele Onyedika, 42 – were arrested during a raid operation at Obosi where 13.9 kilogrammes Methamphetamine and 5.3 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from them, while various quantities of meth, Tramadol, swinol, heroin, and skunk were seized from another suspect Nnamchi Tochukwu, 36.

In Yobe, a suspect, Mohammed Auwal, was arrested after 36 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 22.1 kilogrammes were recovered from his residence at Gidan Talakawa area of Potiskum.

Three trans-border drug traffickers – Kunyadi Ogbungbun, 24; Olalekan Adewale, 20; and Sanya Joshua,22 – were nabbed with 394 kilogrammes skunk at Imeko area of Ogun State during a joint operation by NDLEA operatives with the police and local vigilante on Sunday, September7.

Three motorcycles used in conveying the illicit consignment were also recovered.

In Edo State, a total of 16,966.633 kilogrammes of skunk were destroyed on a cannabis plantation measuring 6.786653 hectares at Ugbogyi forest, Ovia South West Local Government Area, while 112 bags of processed cannabis weighing 1,176 kilogrammes were also recovered at the farm where four suspects – Ebenezer Ewang; Oshore John; Emmanuel Monday; and David Sunday – were arrested.

In like manner, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places, and communities, among others, in the past week.

Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Tincan, Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Kano, FCT, Anambra, Yobe, and Ogun commands for the arrests, and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.

While giving a brief on the recent dislodgement of the cannabis plantation cell in Edo State, the commander of the anti-drug agency in the state, Mitchell Ofoyeju, warned that the plantation constituted a serious threat to food security in the state.

Ofoyeju said, “The massive cannabis farm destruction operation, which was based on actionable intelligence, is posing a serious threat to food security. If these forests can be utilised only for the cultivation of food and cash crops, the challenge of food shortage will be adequately addressed.

“This operation obviously underscores the agency’s commitment to combatting drug cultivation in the state, thereby reinforcing our efforts to rid our communities of the dangers posed by illicit drugs.

“The Edo State Command has taken a bold step to cut off the illicit supply of cannabis with the destruction of a vast Cannabis sativa plantation spanning approximately 6.79 hectares, with an estimated yield of over 16,966 kilogrammes.

“At the farm, we successfully recovered one hundred and twelve bags of harvested and processed cannabis weighing 1,176 kilograms in the farm.”

Ofoyeju disclosed that four male suspects linked to the cannabis plantation were apprehended during the operation while taking refuge at their tents located within the farm. He said three of them were from Akwa Ibom State, while one hailed from Delta State. They had been identified as Ebenezer E. Wang, 48 years old, from Uyo; Emmanuel Monday, 29 years old, from Eket; and David Sunday, 30 years old, from Ugep in Akwa Ibom State; and Oshare John, 45 years old, from Ughelli South, Delta State.

The NDLEA commander confirmed that investigations were underway, and the suspects were expected to face charges in court soon. He urged members of the public to continue providing intelligence to assist in the fight against drug-related crimes, adding that NDLEA remains vigilant in promoting public health and safety.