Court Orders Forfeiture of N33.6bn Opioid Shipment Seized at Port Harcourt as NDLEA Strikes Major Drug Ring

A Nigerian court has ordered the interim forfeiture of 17 containers loaded with illicit drugs valued at over N33.6 billion, in one of the country’s biggest recent seizures targeting opioid trafficking networks.

The ruling followed a successful application by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which intercepted the shipment at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, over a series of operations carried out between April and September 2025.

Authorities say the containers were packed with large quantities of dangerous pharmaceutical drugs often abused as narcotics, including millions of tablets of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol, Carisoprodol, and more than 2.4 million bottles of codeine-based syrup.

Altogether, the seized consignments reportedly contain about 19.6 million pills and 2,496,400 bottles of codeine syrup, with a combined street value estimated at N33,691,200,000.

Delivering the ruling at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed granted the NDLEA’s ex parte motion for interim forfeiture of the containers and ordered that they be handed over to the Federal Government.

The court also directed that the substances remain in the custody of the NDLEA pending the conclusion of legal proceedings tied to the case.

NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday, describing the operation as a coordinated effort that disrupted a major drug trafficking pipeline.

NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, said the forfeiture represents a significant setback for criminal syndicates profiting from the illicit drug trade, stressing that such seizures directly weaken their financial networks.

He noted that proceeds from drug trafficking are often used to fuel addiction, organized crime, and insecurity across communities, adding that the latest action reinforces the government’s commitment to dismantling drug cartels.

Marwa also commended the judiciary for supporting enforcement efforts, saying court backing remains essential in sustaining the fight against narcotics trafficking.

He further praised operatives of the NDLEA Port Harcourt Command and collaborating security and international agencies for their roles in intercepting and securing the shipment.