NDLEA busts illicit drug warehouse, recovers N6.7bn worth of opioids

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a suspected drug baron, Onyekachi Pius Nwanagu, and five members of his gang with illicit substances worth over N6.7 billion recovered from their secret warehouse in a residential estate in Lagos. A statement by Femi Babafemi, the Agency’s spokesperson, said the arrest followed a […]

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a suspected drug baron, Onyekachi Pius Nwanagu, and five members of his gang with illicit substances worth over N6.7 billion recovered from their secret warehouse in a residential estate in Lagos.

A statement by Femi Babafemi, the Agency’s spokesperson, said the arrest followed a credible intelligence that the drug trafficking organisation (DTO) was about distributing over 7.2 million pills of tramadol 225mg and 526,200 bottles (52.6 million mls) of codeine syrup warehoused in a residential compound located at  Sunny Billa East Street, Bucknor, Isheri area of Isolo, Lagos State, ahead of the festive season.

He said officers of a Special Operations Unit of NDLEA led a well coordinated operation between Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th November 2025 to round up members of the syndicate and dismantle their criminal network.

According to him, two members of the DTO: Egbo Innocent Udalor and Chukwe Emmanuel, were trailed and arrested at Apple Junction, Festac area of Lagos on Wednesday 19th November while conveying 300 cartons of opioids in a truck.

He said  a follow up operation to the syndicate’s warehouse at Sunny Billa East Street, Bucknor the following day Thursday 20th November led to the arrest of Onyekachi Nwanagu and other members of his syndicate including Nwoye Sunday Ali; Nnacho Ogochukwu and Oraghalia Chukwuebuka Philip.

He said in all, substances totalling over N6,7bn street value were recovered and moved out of the estate in eleven trucks to NDLEA’s central exhibit complex in Lagos.