NDLEA Bust China Drug Shipment, Arrest Wanted Couple in Ekiti

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a consignment of a dangerous synthetic psychoactive substance imported from China and arrested a wanted couple linked to a major drug trafficking case in Ekiti State.

The agency also recorded a series of drug seizures and arrests across Lagos, Kogi and Edo states as part of its ongoing crackdown on illicit drug trafficking nationwide.

The developments were disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi.

According to the statement, NDLEA operatives intercepted a shipment containing 9.5 kilogrammes of ADB Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a new psychoactive substance (NPS), at a courier company in Lagos. The consignment, which originated from China, was concealed in a carton.

In a related operation, officers on Tuesday, June 16, uncovered 300 grammes of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden inside ladies’ handbags at another logistics firm in Lagos.

The agency also intensified efforts to apprehend suspected drug traffickers in the state. On Friday, June 19, operatives raided the residence of a wanted drug dealer, Lukman Badmus, popularly known as Lukman Ogombo, in the Ogombo area of Ajah.

During the operation, officers recovered nine bottles of codeine syrup and 30 grammes of skunk from the premises.

A follow-up raid at a shop belonging to his wife, Aisha Saraki, in the Patey area of Lagos Island, led to the recovery of two additional bottles of codeine and drug paraphernalia. Operatives also discovered 42 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 22.5 kilogrammes inside a minibus parked in front of the shop.

The NDLEA said an attempt by the suspect to dispose of some of the drug exhibits by flushing them down a toilet was foiled by officers conducting the operation.

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja highway intercepted a 33-year-old suspect, Tochukwu Onah, who was travelling from Lagos to Abuja with 1.03 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed inside containers of custard.

Meanwhile, a couple wanted in connection with the seizure of 117 kilogrammes of skunk in Ekiti State on March 26, 2026, were arrested after months on the run.

The suspects, James Tony Chukwudi, 48, and James Kehinde, 35, were apprehended on Tuesday, June 16, at Oniyo Street, Efon-Alaaye-Ekiti.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided the Khagba Forest in Ikao, Owan East Local Government Area, where they destroyed 1,744.075 kilogrammes of skunk and recovered an additional 169 kilogrammes of processed cannabis. A suspect, Patrick Imoukhede, 45, was arrested during the operation.

Another raid at Ebora Camp in Ilushi, Esan South-East Local Government Area, resulted in the destruction of 2,424.945 kilogrammes of cannabis, while a separate operation led to the arrest of Augustine Anyamone, 45, with 395 kilogrammes of skunk.

The agency said the operations underscore its sustained commitment to reducing the supply of illicit drugs across the country and dismantling trafficking networks.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended officers and men of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation as well as the various Commands for the arrests and seizures.

He urged them to sustain the momentum and continue combining drug supply reduction efforts with drug demand reduction initiatives under the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse campaign.