The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has secured an interim forfeiture order for 17 containers loaded with illicit opioids valued at over N33.6bn, following a ruling by the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.
The order, granted by Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, followed an ex parte motion filed by the agency on February 10, 2026, in suit number FHC/PH/MISC/25/2026.
In a statement on Tuesday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the containers were intercepted at the Onne Port Complex, Rivers State, on multiple dates between April and September 2025.
Babafemi stated that they were found to contain 19.6 million pills of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol, and Carisoprodol, as well as 2,496,400 bottles of codeine syrup, with a combined street value estimated at N33,691,200,000.
Babafemi said that, in his ruling, Justice Mohammed ordered the interim forfeiture of the containers and their contents to the Federal Government, describing them as 365,657 kilograms of psychotropic substances illegally imported into Nigeria by unknown persons.
“An order is hereby made forfeiting, in the interim, to the Federal Government of Nigeria, 17 shipping containers containing a total of 365,657kg of various types of psychotropic substances, as well as other items as stated in the schedule to this application, illegally imported into Nigeria through the Onne Seaport, Onne, Eleme, Rivers State, by unknown persons,” Babafemi quoted the judge as saying.
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the forfeiture as a major blow to drug trafficking networks.
“This is not just a seizure; it is a total dispossession of the resources the drug cartels intended to use in destroying the lives of our youths and funding further criminality,” Marwa said. “By stripping the criminal syndicates of assets worth over N33.6 billion, we have struck at the heart of their operations.”
He added that the action sends a strong signal that authorities will not allow proceeds from illicit drugs to fuel terrorism and other crimes in the country.
Marwa commended the judiciary for its support, noting that collaboration between the courts and the NDLEA remains vital in tackling drug trafficking.
He also praised officers at the Onne Port Command, as well as the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, for their roles in the successful interception.
The NDLEA boss further acknowledged the contributions of international partners in intelligence sharing and technical support, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug cartels nationwide.
The crackdown is part of intensified efforts by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to curb the rising influx of opioids and other psychotropic substances into Nigeria, often linked to organised crime and public health concerns.
Authorities have, in recent years, tightened surveillance at major entry points, including the Onne Port Complex, to disrupt drug trafficking networks.
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