The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in collaboration with the US DEA and UK NCA, has begun probing a $235 million cocaine seizure at Lagos’ Tincan Island Port. The 1,000-kilogram consignment is among the biggest drug hauls ever recorded in Nigeria.
The NDLEA confirmed that the cocaine was discovered after terminal operators at PTML Terminal noticed suspicious packages inside an empty container and alerted port authorities.
A joint examination by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Police Anti-Bomb Squad, Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies confirmed the substance as cocaine. The consignment was officially transferred to NDLEA custody on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, and is valued at over $235 million (approximately ₦338 billion) on the international market.
The Nigeria Customs Service had earlier revealed that the container, numbered GCNU1332851, was among 39 empty containers imported from Freetown, Sierra Leone, and was flagged during a routine disinfection exercise on October 7. Comptroller Joe Anani, Controller of PTML Command, described the seizure as “one of the most mysterious cocaine interceptions” in the agency’s history. No arrests have been made, as the container had no identifiable owner or documentation.
Following the confirmation of the substance, NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) instructed that international partners be involved in the investigation due to the global reach of the cartel behind the shipment. Marwa said the collaboration with the DEA and NCA ensures that all angles of the case are thoroughly covered.
“The essence of collaborating with our international partners on this case is to ensure no stone is left unturned so that ultimately we can bring all the masterminds of this huge consignment to justice, wherever they are located,” Marwa stated.
In a related operation, NDLEA last weekend arrested 40-year-old Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, a wanted UK fugitive, at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. Azeez, who had been charged with drug offences in the UK but jumped bail, was caught while attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
A follow-up raid on his Lekki residence led to the arrest of another suspect, 43-year-old Abideen Kekere-Ekun, and the recovery of 148.3 kilograms of Colorado (synthetic cannabis), precursor chemicals, and other illicit substances.
NDLEA has also carried out coordinated operations across Bayelsa, Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Kaduna, and Lagos, seizing drugs including Colorado, Molly, methamphetamine, tramadol, and Loud. At the Sifax bonded terminal in Okota, a joint operation with Customs recovered 105.5 kilograms of Molly and 500 grams of methamphetamine on Friday, November 7.
