Drug seizures at Nigerian ports top N3tn over five years
About 2.55 million kilograms of illicit drugs were seized at Nigerian seaports, with a value exceeding N3 trillion, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. The data highlights the scale of drug trafficking and the intensity of enforcement operations at major ports and marine commands. Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, emphasized the agency’s commitment to disrupting maritime drug trafficking routes. The figures reveal both the evolving strategies of traffickers and the agency’s ongoing efforts to counter them.
TLDR
- Between 2021 and 2025, 2,553,132.90 kg of illicit drugs were confiscated at Nigerian seaports, valued at over N3 trillion.
- Seizures fluctuated, with 96,690.90 kg in 2021, 20,296.70 kg in 2022, 86,169.54 kg in 2023, surging to 1,745,422.75 kg in 2024, and 605,553.01 kg in 2025.
- Apapa Port, Tin Can Island Port, and Port Harcourt Seaport Command recorded significant seizures, with Port Harcourt seeing a spike to 1,227,595.42 kg in 2024.
- Femi Babafemi stated that NDLEA’s intelligence-led operations have made ports riskier for traffickers and raised the cost of illicit drug trade.
- The NDLEA stressed that Nigeria’s seaports will remain hostile territory for drug traffickers, regardless of their methods or the scale of their operations.
