Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured a major legal victory in its anti-narcotics operations as the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt ordered the interim forfeiture of 17 containers of illicit opioids valued at over N33.6 billion.
The ruling followed an application filed by the NDLEA concerning consignments intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne in Rivers State, between April and September 2025.
The seized containers were found to contain millions of tablets of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol, Carisoprodol, and over 2.4 million bottles of Codeine Syrup with a combined street value estimated at N33,691,200,000.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, granted an interim forfeiture order and directed that the containers and their contents be vested in the Federal Government pending the final determination of the case.
The judge ordered that custody and possession of the seized items remain with the NDLEA until the conclusion of proceedings.
Reacting to the judgment, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) described the ruling as a decisive blow to drug cartels operating in Nigeria.
“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,” Marwa said, adding that the operation had struck at the financial backbone of organised drug networks.
He commended the judiciary for its swift intervention and praised NDLEA operatives at the Onne Port Command for their vigilance and professionalism, which led to the interception of the illicit consignments.
Marwa also acknowledged the support of sister security agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, as well as international partners who provided intelligence backing for the operation.
In a statement by the Agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA said the forfeiture underscores its sustained crackdown on drug trafficking networks and its commitment to dismantling criminal syndicates across the country.
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