The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has granted the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency an interim forfeiture order for 17 containers of illicit opioids valued at over N33.6 billion. The containers were intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, between April and September 2025.
According to the NDLEA, the haul included 19.6 million pills of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, along with 2.49 million bottles of Codeine syrup. Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed issued the order on 10 February 2026, forfeiting the containers and 365,657kg of psychotropic substances to the Federal Government pending final determination of the suit. Custody of the exhibits was vested in the NDLEA.
Reacting, NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) called the ruling a “death knell for the financial nerves of drug cartels,” saying the forfeiture strips the syndicates of assets worth N33.69 billion that would have been used to destroy lives and fund criminality. He commended the judiciary, NDLEA officers at Onne Port, the Nigeria Customs Service, port stakeholders, and international partners for their roles in the interdiction.
