Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered and raided three illicit drug warehouses concealed within a residential estate in the Okota area of Lagos, recovering narcotics valued at over N16.9bn.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the intelligence-led operations, carried out on Friday, April 17, 2026, targeted locations at 98 Olukayode Awofisayo Street and 5 Charles Ndumetu Street, both within Park View Estate, Ago Palace, Okota.
A statement on Wednesday by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said operatives discovered large quantities of prohibited substances, including 2,360,000 pills of high-potency tramadol (225mg) and 1,909,400 bottles of codeine syrup.
According to him, the seizures were found in 19,094 cartons of codeine syrup and 34 cartons of tramadol, bringing the total estimated street value of the drugs to N16,927,200,000.
The statement partly read, “Operatives of the NDLEA have raided three illicit drug warehouses hidden in a residential estate in the Okota area of Lagos, where 2,360,000 pills of high-potency tramadol 225mg and 1,909,400 bottles of codeine syrup, with a combined street value of N16,927,200,000.00 only, were recovered.
“The high-stakes, intelligence-led coordinated operations were conducted on Friday, 17th April 2026, at 98 Olukayode Awofisayo Street, Park View Estate, Ago Palace, Okota, where a large warehouse was uncovered, and two others at 5 Charles Ndumetu Street, Park View Estate, Ago Palace, Okota, Lagos State.
“Recovered from the three warehouses were 19,094 cartons containing 1,909,400 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,360,000 pills of high-potency tramadol 225mg in another 34 cartons.”
Reacting to the operation, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), described the raid as a major breakthrough in dismantling a significant drug trafficking network.
He commended the operatives for their efforts, stating that the scale of the recovery demonstrated the agency’s growing effectiveness in combating drug-related crimes.
“The scale of this recovery, nearly 4.3 million units of lethal substances, is a testament to the fact that our officers are staying several steps ahead of these merchants of death,” Marwa said.
He added that the discovery of such large volumes of illicit drugs within residential estates underscored both the desperation of traffickers and the strength of the agency’s intelligence capabilities.
Marwa reiterated that no part of the country would serve as a safe haven for drug traffickers, warning that the NDLEA would continue to track and dismantle criminal networks wherever they operate.
“Let this be a clear signal to those who think they can profit from the destruction of our children’s futures: we will find you, dismantle your networks, and bring the full weight of the law upon you,” he said.
