The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has gotten a temporary forfeiture order for 17 containers full of illegal opioids worth more than N33.6 billion.
The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt gave the order after the agency filed an ex parte motion.
Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy for the NDLEA, said in a statement on Tuesday that the containers were stopped at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, on several days between April and September 2025.
The agency says that the seized shipments include 19.6 million pills of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol, and Carisoprodol, as well as 2,496,400 bottles of codeine syrup. The total street value of these items is thought to be N33,691,200,000.
Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed ruled on the application and ordered the containers, which hold 365,657 kg of psychotropic substances, to be temporarily given to the Federal Government.
The court also gave the NDLEA custody of the items until the case is over.
Mohamed Buba Marwa, the chairman of the NDLEA, said that the forfeiture was a big blow to drug trafficking networks in response to the news.
He said that the action takes away resources that criminal groups use to support drug abuse and other crimes. He also said that it sends a strong message that the government is serious about fighting the illegal drug trade.
Marwa also praised the courts for following the order, saying that the agency and the courts need to work together to fight drug-related crimes.
He also praised the NDLEA staff at the Onne Port Command and other security agencies and international partners for their work in the operation.
