The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has carried out a series of sweeping nationwide operations that led to the interception of more than 600,000 opioid pills, the destruction of massive cannabis plantations, and the arrest of multiple suspects across several states.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that one of the most significant interceptions occurred on Friday, August 29, when operatives seized 104,900 capsules of tramadol hidden inside a fuel tanker at the Abuja-Kaduna toll gate. A suspect linked to the consignment was immediately arrested.
In another major bust, operatives in Maiduguri, Borno State, apprehended a man in possession of 30,640 tramadol pills, 7,940 rohypnol tablets, and ₦7.9 million in cash believed to be proceeds from drug trafficking. Similarly, in Zaria, Kaduna State, officers arrested a suspect with 34.15kg of cannabis sativa.
Across southern Nigeria, the NDLEA intensified its fight against illicit cultivation, destroying a 71.5-hectare cannabis farm in Taraba State and burning over 178,000kg of cannabis plants. In Anambra, a 75-year-old man and several others were arrested for dealing in cannabis and opioids.
Further nationwide raids in Nasarawa, Adamawa, Kano, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Ekiti led to the seizure of more than 500,000 opioid pills, processed cannabis, codeine-based syrup, and other narcotics. In Ekiti, the agency reported one of the state’s largest seizures yet — 5.3kg of high-grade cannabis strains known locally as “Loud” and “Colorado,” along with a small quantity of methamphetamine.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the operatives for their dedication and urged them to intensify efforts under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. He noted that in addition to enforcement, the agency conducted nationwide sensitization campaigns in schools, communities, places of worship, and traditional institutions to address the growing threat of drug abuse.
“These operations demonstrate our resolve to cut off the supply chains of illicit drugs while also educating the public on the dangers of abuse,” Marwa stated. “We will not relent in dismantling networks of traffickers fueling insecurity and addiction across the country.”
The latest operations highlight the scale of Nigeria’s drug abuse challenge, with opioids and cannabis accounting for the bulk of seizures, even as traffickers devise new methods of concealment.
