NDLEA Raids Lagos Hotel, Seizes N1.04bn Drugs

… Nabs Traffickers Across Five States

In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided an 80 room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, seizing illicit drugs worth over N1.04 billion.

The five-storey hotel, operating under the names The Hook Hotel, Caesar Hotel, and Caesar Lounge, was allegedly being used as a front for drug distribution. After an intense hours-long operation between Friday 25th and Saturday 26th April 2025, NDLEA operatives recovered 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 417.3 kilograms.

Three suspects  Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh were arrested on the premises, while two others, Noble Philip and Kenneth, remain at large. Authorities also recovered suspected proceeds of drug trafficking including luxury vehicles, dozens of television sets, and refrigerators.

In a separate operation in Jigawa and Kano states, NDLEA intercepted over 2 million pills of tramadol and pregabalin intended for smuggling to Niger Republic and Yobe State. Two suspects, Abba Ibrahim, 28, and Shuaibu Umar, 29, were apprehended with the drugs hidden in a Toyota Sienna. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Jamilu Muhammad, 41, at his Kano residence, where additional pills were discovered hidden inside a bus and a room.

Meanwhile, at a Lagos courier firm, operatives foiled another attempt to smuggle drugs to Saudi Arabia, seizing 46 wraps of cocaine concealed in body cream. Another shipment containing pentazocine injections and bromazepam tablets destined for Canada was also intercepted.

At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, three Ghanaian women  Haziza Zubairu, 42; Samirat Mustapha, 43; and Jamila Salifu, 26 were caught attempting to smuggle nearly 5kg of Ghana Loud into Nigeria.

In separate incidents, a 60 year old grandmother was arrested in Kano with 5.6kg of skunk, and another suspect was nabbed with 100 litres of codeine syrup.

The Agency also reported the destruction of 3,814.9kg of skunk on two farms in Edo State during a raid that led to the arrest of three suspects.

Across the country, NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued with advocacy visits and sensitization lectures to students, community groups, and traditional leaders.

Commending the officers, NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised the commands involved for maintaining a balanced approach between curbing drug supply and reducing demand.