The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a cocaine shipment ingeniously concealed within religious books, intended for delivery to Saudi Arabia.
According to agency spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the narcotics were uncovered on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, during a routine inspection at a courier service facility in Lagos by officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI). The shipment consisted of 20 parcels, totaling 500 grams of cocaine, each discreetly hidden within the pages of 20 religious texts.
“The method of concealment was particularly cunning, as the drugs were embedded within what appeared to be ordinary religious literature,” Babafemi said in a press statement issued on Sunday, April 20.
In a separate incident that same day, NDLEA officers at another Lagos courier outlet discovered five parcels of Loud—a potent strain of cannabis—weighing 2.8 kilograms. The illegal drugs had been shipped from the United States and were packed inside a carton.
Nationwide Drug Enforcement Operations Yield Arrests and Seizures
The NDLEA also conducted successful operations in other parts of the country:
In Kano State, 22-year-old Muhammad Mohammed was arrested on Sunday, April 13, while traveling along the Bichi–Kano highway. He was found in possession of 277 ampoules of pentazocine, a controlled substance, strapped to his body. That same day, in the Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano, officers arrested 43-year-old Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, who was caught with 68 blocks of cannabis, weighing approximately 30 kilograms.
In Bayelsa State, a raid on a residence located on Major General Isaiah Alison Street in the Opolo area of Yenagoa on Wednesday, April 16, led to the discovery of 557.2 kilograms of cannabis, 5.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 29.8 grams of heroin. Four suspects were detained in connection with the operation: Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis (46), Roland Prosper (34), Sarimiye Tare Paul (45), and Fidelis Ugbesla (46).
Also in Lagos, on Thursday, April 17, operatives confiscated 1,100 kilograms of cannabis from a delivery vehicle. The driver, identified as Ismail Abdullahi, was apprehended in the Surulere area.
In Zaria, Kaduna State, a raid carried out on Friday, April 18, resulted in the seizure of 31,950 tablets of tramadol (225mg) and diazepam from the home of a suspect named Ike Ani, aged 30.
NDLEA Expands Anti-Drug Awareness Campaign
Meanwhile, the NDLEA continues to intensify its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign. The initiative is expanding nationwide, with awareness programs being conducted in educational institutions, corporate settings, and religious centers to educate the public on the dangers of drug abuse.
