The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has achieved a significant victory in the war against drug trafficking by dismantling an illicit opioid cartel operating in Lagos State.
Following the intelligence-driven operation, the agency successfully arrested a suspected drug baron, Onyekachi Pius Nwanagu, along with five other members of his criminal network.
The crackdown resulted in the recovery of illicit substances with an estimated street value exceeding N6.7 billion from a secret warehouse situated within a residential estate.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the details of the operation on Wednesday, the 26th of November, 2025, that the action was based on credible intelligence. The syndicate was reportedly preparing to distribute a colossal amount of opioids ahead of the Christmas season, specifically over 7.2 million pills of tramadol 225mg and 526,200 bottles (totaling 52.6 million millilitres) of codeine syrup.
Babafemi stated that the NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit carried out coordinated raids between November 19 and 20, 2025. The operation began with the initial arrest of two members of the drug trafficking organisation, Egbo Innocent Udalor and Chukwe Emmanuel, who were apprehended at Apple Junction, Festac, while moving 300 cartons of opioids in a truck.
A subsequent follow-up operation at the warehouse, located at 23 Sunny Billa East Street, Bucknor, Isheri, in the Isolo area of Lagos, led to the apprehension of suspected baron Nwanagu and three additional suspects: Nwoye Sunday Ali, Nnacho Ogochukwu, and Oraghalia Chukwuebuka Philip.
In summary, operatives seized 7,272,000 pills of tramadol valued at N3.96 billion and 53 million millilitres of codeine syrup worth N2.76 billion. The immense volume of exhibits required eleven trucks for evacuation from the residential estate to the NDLEA’s central exhibit complex in Lagos.
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NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers involved in the successful operation, describing the breakthrough as a major setback for drug cartels whose primary targets are Nigerian youths. He asserted that the seizure reaffirmed the agency’s determination to tirelessly pursue drug kingpins and their financiers.
Marwa noted that these arrests underscore the agency’s commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s directive to intensify the fight against illicit drugs, assuring that the NDLEA would continue its mandate to ensure that drug traffickers are brought to justice.
He delivered a powerful statement on the significance of the seizure: “This is not just an arrest; it is a clear and unambiguous statement. 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 Ahmed Tinubu”, Marwa stated.