Court grants NDLEA interim forfeiture of 17 drug-laden containers

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has secured an interim forfeiture order over 17 shipping containers loaded with illicit opioids valued at more than N33.6 billion, in what officials described as a major blow to drug trafficking networks operating through Nigerian ports.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by NDLEA spokesperson Femi abd released on Babafemi on Tuesday.

It was stated that the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt granted the order following an ex parte application filed by the agency in suit number FHC/PH/MISC/25/2026.

Babafemi said the containers, intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, between April and September 2025, were found to contain millions of pills of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol, Carisoprodol, and over 2.4 million bottles of Codeine Syrup

Ruling on the application, Justice Adamu Mohammed ordered the interim forfeiture of the consignments.

The judge held that, “An order is hereby made forfeiting in the interim to the Federal Government of Nigeria seventeen shipping containers containing a total of three hundred and sixty-five thousand, six hundred and seventy-five kilograms of various types of psychotropic substances illegally imported into Nigeria through the Onne Sea Port, Onne, Eleme, Rivers State by unknown persons.”

He further ordered that, “Custody and possession of the said containers and their respective contents are hereby vested in the Applicant pending the final determination of this suit.”

Reacting to the ruling, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the development as a decisive strike against drug cartels.

“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 and funding further criminality,” Marwa said.

He added, “By stripping the criminal syndicates of assets worth over N33.6 billion, we have struck at the heart of their operations. This sends a clear message that the Nigerian state will not allow the proceeds of death to circulate to fund terrorism and other forms of criminality.”

Marwa commended the judiciary for supporting the agency’s operations, noting that timely court intervention remains critical in the fight against drug trafficking.

He also praised officers of the Onne Port Command for their vigilance, as well as sister security agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, for their cooperation during the operation.

The NDLEA boss further acknowledged international partners for intelligence support, adding that the agency remains committed to dismantling drug networks across the country.