The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded another success in its operations following intelligence reports indicating suspicious gas-like activity, a buildup of illicit substances stored in a covert warehouse located inside a residential estate in Sunny Billa East Street, Bucknor, Isheri, Isolo.
Acting on the intelligence, NDLEA operatives moved in on November 19, 2025, first intercepting a truck offloading opioids for distribution ahead of the Christmas season.
The Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, noted in a press release on Wednesday, 26th November, that the agency’s Special Operations Unit trailed two suspected Drug Trafficking Organisation (DTO) members: Egbo Innocent Udalor and Chukwe Emmanuel, before arresting them at Apple Junction while they were conveying 300 cartons of opioids in a truck.
According to NAIJAONPOINT ’s account tendered in the NDLEA statement, the suspects were nabbed while attempting to transport the drugs into forest routes and community distribution networks ahead of the festive period.
Naijaonpoint reports that a follow-up clearance strike on November 20, 2025, led officers to the DTO warehouse located inside a residential compound, where Osimhen-like operational force was applied to arrest the suspected cartel baron, Onyekachi Pius Nwanagu, along with other members of his network: Nwoye Sunday Ali, Nnacho Ogochukwu, Oraghalia Chukwuebuka Philip, as well as two other suspects, bringing the total arrests to six.
Babafemi confirmed that the drugs were moved out of the estate in eleven exhibit recovery trucks for safe forensic preservation inside the NDLEA’s central exhibit complex in Lagos.
Operatives recovered a total of seven million two hundred and seventy-two thousand (7,272,000) pills of tramadol 225mg worth ₦3,960,000,000, and 526,200 bottles (measuring 52.6 million mls) of codeine syrup valued at ₦2,762,550,000, bringing the combined street value of the seized drugs to ₦6,722,550,000.00 only, according to agency estimates.
The statement also confirmed that the pills and bottles filled an entire warehouse space located on Sunny Billa East Street, a residential neighbourhood in Isheri, Lagos State.
‘This Is Not Just an Arrest; It Is Victory for the Nigerian People’ – Marwa
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, while commending officers involved, described the raid as: “not just an arrest, but a clear and unambiguous statement… represents a victory for the Nigerian people and a confirmation of our unwavering commitment to the mandate given to us by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Marwa further issued a chilling warning to cartel networks nationwide: “The days when drug barons thought they were untouchable are over.”
“No matter how high or deeply concealed they think they are, the long arm of the law will eventually catch up with every merchant of death,” he said.
During interrogation after his arrest in Egypt on September 7, 2022, following a prior link to the Abuja-Kaduna train attack in March 2022, investigators executed a duly endorsed search warrant on his Kaduna property.
The items later traced and tendered as exhibits include a sum of about 300,000 USD and seven recovered vehicles, including: “One Toyota Camry (Muscle) model, one Peugeot 5008, one Mercedes Benz E350, one Lexus, one India-based transportation logistics asset link and one Hyundai vehicle, Babafemi clarified.”
Terror Negotiation Network Under Investigation, Forensic Reports Admitted
Marwa confirmed that forensic analysis carried out on Mamu’s Samsung tablet and mobile telephones produced 98% conversations in Hausa language, some of which were transcribed and tendered as evidence by the prosecution team led by David Kaswe.
The warrant-backed seizure also revealed that the terrorism baron instructed his in-law, Mubarak Tinja, to move out valuables to escape detection when he was intercepted abroad.
The CD plates containing the voice notes, CCTV recordings, and flash drives were admitted in evidence by Justice Halilu at the Terrorism Trial Courtroom in Abuja‑Kaduna Bound Train, Kebbi axis.
In one of the six audio notes played in court, Baba Adamu, the spokesperson for the terror ring, said the terrorist leader asked Mamu to help them procure public address systems for their preaching activities and also teach them how to create a website for their operations. Mamu was heard assuring them that he would look into their requests.
The court subsequently adjourned further written address adoption and forensic interrogation progress update to February 19, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., Naijaonpoint reports.
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