The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a major drug trafficking operation at an 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, recovering drugs valued at over ₦1 billion.
According to a statement by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, operatives raided The Hook Hotel, also known as Caesar Hotel and Caesar Lounge, between Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, 2025.
During the operation, agents recovered 589 bags of “Canadian Loud,” a potent cannabis strain, weighing 417.3 kilograms. The seized drugs have a street value of approximately ₦1,042,500,000.
Three suspects—Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh—were arrested at the scene. Meanwhile, two other individuals identified as Noble Philip and Kenneth are currently at large.
NDLEA also confiscated several items believed to be proceeds of the illicit trade, including vehicles such as a Toyota Prado Land Cruiser, Toyota Sienna, Volkswagen Delivery Van, Kia Ceranto, and a Grand Caravan Dodge. Additionally, 74 new televisions, 10 used televisions, 13 refrigerators, and other valuable goods were seized.
In a separate operation in Jigawa State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle loaded with opioids at around 2:30 am on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Two suspects, Abba Ibrahim (28) and Shuaibu Umar (29), were arrested with 200,000 pills of tramadol and 217,500 capsules of pregabalin.
A follow-up operation in Kano led to the arrest of Jamilu Muhammad (41), where agents seized an additional 1,584,000 tramadol pills stored inside a bus and his home. The total number of recovered opioids amounted to 2,001,500 pills.
The agency also reported the interception of 46 wraps of cocaine, weighing 547 grams, concealed in body cream bound for the Middle East, as well as another shipment containing 1.8 kilograms of pentazocine injection and 60 grams of bromazepam tablets intended for Canada.
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, three Ghanaian women—Haziza Zubairu (42), Samirat Mustapha (43), and Jamila Salifu (26)—were arrested while attempting to smuggle 4.8 kilograms of “Ghana Loud” cannabis into Nigeria.
Other notable arrests include a 60-year-old woman, Safiya Shamsu, who was caught with 5.6 kilograms of cannabis in the Samegu area of Kano State, and Muntari Labaran (35) who was apprehended in Dala LGA with 100 liters of codeine syrup.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided two farms in Ugbodu, Ovia North East LGA, destroying 3,814.9 kilograms of skunk and arresting three suspects: Samuel Samson (26), Daniel Peter (20), and Abel Edah (31).
The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks across Nigeria and urged citizens to support the agency’s ongoing efforts.
