The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured an interim forfeiture order for 17 containers laden with illicit opioids valued at over N33.6 billion, intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Rivers State.
The order was granted by the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Adamu Mohammed, following an ex parte application filed by the anti-narcotics agency.
The seizures, made on multiple dates between April and September 2025, at Onne, involved a total of 19.6 million pills of tramadol, tafrodol, tapentadol, and carisoprodol, alongside 2.49 million bottles of codeine syrup.
The combined street value of the intercepted drugs is N33,691,200,000.
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed ordered that the 17 containers—containing 365,657kg of psychotropic substances—be forfeited to the federal government in the interim, pending the final determination of the suit.
He also vested custody of the containers and their contents in the NDLEA.
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Reacting, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Marwa, described the forfeiture as a major blow to drug trafficking networks.
“This is not just a seizure; it is a total dispossession of the resources the drug cartels intended to deploy in destroying lives and funding criminality,” he said.
“By stripping them of assets worth over N33.6 billion, we have struck at the heart of their operations.”
Marwa added that the action underscores the government’s resolve to prevent illicit drug proceeds from fueling terrorism and other crimes.
He commended the judiciary for its support and praised NDLEA operatives at the Onne Port Command for their vigilance.
He also acknowledged the collaboration of the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders, as well as international partners, for intelligence sharing.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, reiterated the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug networks and curbing substance abuse across the country.
