Nigerian Court Forfeits 17 Drug Containers Worth 33.6B Naira

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has issued an interim forfeiture order to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for 17 shipping containers loaded with illicit opioids, valued at more than 33.6 billion naira on the street. The ruling, handed down by Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, transfers temporary possession of the seized goods to the federal government pending the final resolution of the case.

The containers were intercepted by NDLEA officers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, over several months in 2025, with seizures occurring on dates including April 29, May 14, May 19, May 20, May 28, May 29, June 13, July 29, August 13, August 14, and September 4. They held approximately 19.6 million pills of psychotropic substances such as tramadol, tafrodol, tapentadol, and carisoprodol, along with 2.5 million bottles of codeine syrup, totaling 365,657 kilograms. The agency filed a motion ex parte on February 10, 2026, under suit number FHC/PH/MISC/25/2026, leading to the court's decision.

In his ruling, Justice Mohammed stated: "An order is hereby made forfeiting in the interim to the Federal Government of Nigeria seventeen shipping containers containing...