A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has granted an interim forfeiture order on 17 shipping containers loaded with banned drugs valued at over N33.6 billion, dealing a significant setback to drug trafficking operations in Nigeria.
The order followed an ex parte application filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in a suit marked FHC/PH/MISC/25/2026.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the containers were intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, between April and September 2025.
The consignments were found to contain large quantities of opioids, including Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol, Carisoprodol, as well as over 2.4 million bottles of Codeine syrup.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Adamu Mohammed ordered that the seized items be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government pending the final determination of the case.
“An order is hereby made forfeiting in the interim to the Federal Government of Nigeria seventeen shipping containers containing various types of psychotropic substances illegally imported into the country,” the judge ruled.
He further directed that custody of the containers and their contents remain with the anti-drug agency until the matter is concluded.
“Possession of the said containers is hereby vested in the applicant pending the final determination of this suit,” he added.
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the forfeiture as a decisive blow against drug cartels.
“This is not just a seizure; it is a total dispossession of resources intended to destroy the lives of our youths and fund criminal activities,” Marwa said.
He noted that the action sends a strong warning to traffickers that illicit drug operations will not be tolerated.
“By stripping these syndicates of assets worth over N33.6 billion, we have struck at the core of their operations,” he stated.
Marwa commended the judiciary for its support, emphasizing the importance of swift legal backing in tackling drug-related crimes.
He also praised officers at the Onne Port Command and other security agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, for their collaboration.
The NDLEA boss further acknowledged the role of international partners in providing intelligence, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug networks across the country.
