By Amofokhai Williams
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 6,000kg of cannabis, with a combined street value of over N3.4 billion in operations across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the operations were carried out in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the FCT.
Babafemi said one of the major breakthroughs was the interception of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion.
He stated that the seizure led to the arrest of a 49-year-old drug trafficker, Innocent Ekpe, who allegedly impersonated a senior police officer to evade scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit drugs across state lines.
According to Babafemi, Ekpe was arrested on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.
Babafemi said investigations revealed that the suspect had been parading himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged police identification card to avoid checks while conveying illicit consignments.
He added that a 39-year-old accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.
In Edo State, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, raided an auto-repair workshop along Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.
He said the workshop was allegedly being used as a cover for storing illicit drugs, adding that operatives recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152 grammes of methamphetamine and a metal box used for storing the substances.
Babafemi stated that at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives placed a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, under surveillance after processing intelligence on the consignment.
He said the container, which arrived on September 12, was subjected to a joint physical examination by NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on Wednesday, September 16.
According to him, the search uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75kg, concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container.
In Niger State, Babafemi said three young suspects were arrested during a patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area.
He identified them as Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18.
Babafemi said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday, September 15, 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.
He further disclosed that two other suspects, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, were arrested on Friday, September 18, along the Abaji-Abuja Highway.
Babafemi said NDLEA operatives recovered more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets concealed in eight sacks.
He stated that the consignment was being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
In Lagos, Babafemi said Onyeka Ofor was arrested at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on Friday with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg.
He added that seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were intercepted at a logistics company, leading to the arrest of a suspect, Luke Ugokwe.
Babafemi also said Ibrahim Hudu, 43, was arrested at Apongbo, Lagos, on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, he said 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19.
He stated that Umar was arrested in the Barunde area, while Muhammad was arrested at Gombe Main Market on Friday, September 18.
Babafemi said NDLEA operatives also arrested 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday.
In Ondo State, he said four suspects-Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday, were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest.
Babafemi said the operation, conducted on Tuesday, September 15, also led to the destruction of 5,000kg of cannabis plants.
He added that 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered from the farm for use in prosecuting the suspects.
Beyond seizures and arrests, Babafemi said NDLEA commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
He said recent activities included enlightenment lectures at St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo State; Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra State; Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos; and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba State.
He said NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers and men of the Lagos, Tin-Can, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven operations.
According to Babafemi, Marwa urged NDLEA personnel nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention, sensitisation and community engagement.
