Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted over 1.3 million pills of tramadol and other opioids as well as 6,000 kilograms of potent strains of cannabis with a combined street value of more than N3.4 billion in a string of major operational breakthroughs across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The NDLEA also intercepted 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 603.75 kilograms, valued at N1.81bn at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, and the arrest of a trafficker who impersonated a senior police officer to evade checkpoints while ferrying drugs across state lines.
According to a statement released by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, the shipment, which arrived from Montreal, Canada, on September 12, was placed under intensive monitoring following intelligence received by the agency.
He said the container was subjected to a joint physical examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on Wednesday, September 16.
“The search uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded in two Toyota Sienna vehicles within the 40-foot container,” the statement added.
The 49-year-old fake police officer Innocent Ekpe was arrested on Wednesday, 16th September 2026, by NDLEA operatives along the Benin-Onitsha expressway in Asaba, Delta state, with 292.48 kilograms of skunk hidden in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.
Investigation established that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged ID card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments. An accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was arrested along with him.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence stormed a location on Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai, who used his auto-repair workshop as a front for storing illicit drugs. Officers recovered 48 kilograms of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine, along with a metal box used to store the illicit substances.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway at Chachi, Tafa LGA, on Tuesday, 15th September, arrested three young suspects: Bashir Usman (20), Abubakar Nuhu (18), and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab (18) with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.
Two suspects, Aminu Isyaku (23) and Jamilu Habibu (25), were arrested on Friday, 18th September, by NDLEA officers along the Abaji-Abuja highway. Over 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets/capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine, and Exol tablets concealed in eight sacks en route from Onitsha, Anambra state, to Mararaba, Nasarawa state, were recovered from them.
In Lagos, a suspect named Onyeka Ofor was arrested on Friday, 18th September, at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225 mg, while seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59 kg were intercepted at a logistics company with a suspect, Luke Ugokwe, taken into custody. In another operation in Lagos, Ibrahim Hudu (43) was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38 kg of nitrous oxide gas on Thursday, 17th September.
A total of 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar (27) and Hassana Muhammad (19), who were arrested in the Barunde area and Gombe main market, respectively, in Gombe state on Friday, 18th September.
A suspect, Ifesinachi Godwin (25), was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha road, Imo State, with 43.85 kg of skunk on Friday, 18th September, while four suspects: Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday, Sunday, and Ability Peter Sunday was nabbed during the raid and destruction of 5,000 kilograms of skunk on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo state, on Tuesday, 15th September. No less than 48 kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered from the location for the prosecution of the suspects.
With the same vigor, commands, and formations of the agency across the country, they continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week. These include a WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo; Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra; Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos; and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba State, while the Delta Ports Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Majesty, King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III, Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Delta State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of Lagos, Tincan, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo, and FCT Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
