NDLEA thwarts cocaine in religious books bound for Saudi Arabia, seizes over 1.7 tonnes of illicit drugs nationwide

Abdullateef Fowewe

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have thwarted a consignment of cocaine cleverly concealed in 20 religious books and destined for Saudi Arabia, as part of intensified operations targeting the trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs across Nigeria, confirmed a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

Babafemi noted that the cocaine parcels—20 in total and weighing 500 grams—were discovered on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at a courier company in Lagos by officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).

In a separate operation that same day at another courier facility in Lagos, NDLEA operatives also intercepted a shipment of five parcels of Loud, a high-potency cannabis strain, weighing 2.8 kilograms.

The illegal substance had arrived from the United States.

The agency stated these seizures are part of a broader clampdown on drug trafficking syndicates operating within and outside Nigeria.

In another  operation in Kano, a 22-year-old drug courier, Muhammad Mohammed, was arrested on Sunday, April 13, while en route to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection strapped to his thighs and private parts using Sellotape. That same day, officers also apprehended Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, at the Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano, with 68 blocks of cannabis (skunk) weighing 30kg.

At the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, the agency arrested Basorun Usman Kayode, 40, who had been on the run for two years over the 2023 seizure of 107kg of Loud imported from Canada. Another suspect, Dauda Yakubu, a local drug distributor in the seaport area, was also arrested on Monday, April 14.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Kebbi, acting on intelligence, intercepted a charcoal-laden vehicle along Bagudo Road on Friday, April 18, and upon conducting a search revealed 97kg of skunk hidden inside the sacks.

Three suspects identified as,Abubakar Ibrahim aged 50, Mustapha Aliyu, aged 32, and Bashar Lawali aged 28 were arrested following the discovery.

It goes over, “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in 20 sets of religious books going to Saudi Arabia.

“The cocaine consignment consisting of 20 parcels with a total weight of 500grams and buried in the pages of the religious books was uncovered at a courier company in Lagos on Tuesday 15th April 2025 when NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) were searching through export cargos going to Saudi Arabia at the logistics firm.

“At another courier company same day, NDLEA officers intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 2.8 kilograms hidden in a carton coming from the United States of America.

“In Kano, a 22-year-old supplier of illicit substances to bandits, Muhammad Mohammed, has been arrested by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bichi – Kano road while heading to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection tied to his thigh and private part with Sellotape. He was intercepted on Sunday 13th April, while another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was nabbed same day at Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano with 68 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 30kg.

“Not less than 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine and 29.8grams of heroin were recovered from a house along Major General Isaiah Alllison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where four suspects were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided the premises on Wednesday 16th April. The four suspects arrested during the raid include: Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare Paul, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46.”