Acting on intelligence reports, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided a hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, seizing illegal drugs valued at more than N1.042 billion. The operation took place between Friday and Saturday at The Hook Hotel, also known as Caesar Hotel and Lounge, located at 16 Waziri Ibrahim Street.
After hours of searching the 80-room, five-storey building, NDLEA operatives recovered 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 417.3 kilograms. During the raid, three suspects — Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh — were arrested, while two others, Noble Philip and Kenneth, are still at large.
The agency also seized several luxury vehicles and household items believed to be proceeds from drug trafficking. These included a Toyota Prado Land Cruiser, Toyota Sienna, Volkswagen delivery van, Kia Cerato, and a Grand Caravan Dodge. Officers also recovered 74 new television sets, 10 used TVs, and 13 refrigerators from the premises.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the details, stating that the hotel was being used as a cover for the distribution of illicit drugs. He described the raid as a major breakthrough in the agency’s fight against drug trafficking in Lagos.
In a separate operation in Jigawa and Kano States, NDLEA officers intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle carrying 200,000 pills of Tramadol 250mg and 217,500 capsules of Pregabalin. Two suspects, Abba Ibrahim (28) and Shuaibu Umar (29), were arrested during a roadside stop in Gumel town. Further investigations led to the arrest of the supplier, Jamilu Muhammad (41), in Kano, along with the recovery of an additional 1.58 million tramadol pills, bringing the total seizure to over two million pills.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted 46 wraps of cocaine hidden inside body cream, destined for Saudi Arabia. Another shipment containing 1.8kg of pentazocine injection and 60 grams of bromazepam tablets bound for Canada was also seized at a courier company.
Cross-border drug trafficking was also disrupted at the Seme border in Badagry, where three Ghanaian women were arrested trying to smuggle 4.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud cannabis into Nigeria.
In Kano State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 60-year-old woman, Safiya Shamsu, with 5.6 kilograms of skunk and another suspect, Muntari Labaran (35), with 100 litres of codeine syrup. In Edo State, two cannabis farms were raided, resulting in the destruction of 3,814.9 kilograms of cannabis and the arrest of three suspects.
Beyond enforcement actions, the NDLEA continues to promote drug abuse prevention through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization programs across several states, including Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Anambra. An advocacy visit was also made to the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, HRM Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised the officers involved and stressed the agency’s commitment to balancing drug supply reduction with demand reduction nationwide.
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