The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted illicit drugs with a combined street value of more than ₦3.4 billion in a series of intelligence-led operations conducted across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The seizures included more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, about 6,000kg of potent cannabis strains and other controlled substances.
The latest operations, carried out by officers of the agency between Tuesday, September 15 and Friday, September 18, 2026, also resulted in the arrest of several suspects, including a man accused of impersonating a senior police officer to evade checkpoints while transporting illicit drugs.
The NDLEA, in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said one of the major breakthroughs involved the seizure of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 603.75kg and valued at ₦1.811 billion.
The consignment was intercepted at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos following intelligence received by NDLEA operatives monitoring a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived at the port on September 12.
According to the agency, the container was subjected to a full joint physical examination on Wednesday, September 16, involving NDLEA officers, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
During the search, 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud were discovered concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles packed in the container.
The seizure formed part of a wider series of operations in which the agency said large quantities of illicit drugs were intercepted and several suspects arrested.
In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 49-year-old suspect, identified as Innocent Ekpe, along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba on Wednesday, September 16.
Ekpe was allegedly found with 292.48kg of skunk concealed inside a silver Toyota Sienna bus.
The agency said investigations revealed that the suspect had allegedly been parading himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and used a forged police identity card to evade scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit drug consignments across state lines.
A 39-year-old accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested alongside him.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a location along Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.
The agency said Ossai allegedly used his auto-repair workshop as a front for storing illicit drugs.
Recovered from the premises were 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152 grammes of methamphetamine and a metal box allegedly used to store the substances.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives patrolling the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area, arrested three suspects on Tuesday, September 15.
The suspects, Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18, were allegedly found 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.
In another operation along the Abaji-Abuja Highway on Friday, September 18, NDLEA officers arrested Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25.
The suspects were allegedly transporting more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets.
The drugs were concealed in eight sacks and were reportedly being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba in Nasarawa State.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on Friday, September 18, where 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg were recovered.
At a logistics company in the state, seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were also intercepted, leading to the arrest of a suspect identified as Luke Ugokwe.
Another suspect, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu, was arrested at Apongbo in Lagos on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19.
The suspects were arrested at Barunde area and Gombe Main Market, respectively, on Friday, September 18.
In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road on Friday with 43.85kg of skunk.
The NDLEA also recorded a major breakthrough in Ondo State, where four suspects were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest. The suspects were identified as Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday.
The operation, conducted on Tuesday, September 15, led to the destruction of about 5,000kg of skunk growing on the farm, while 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered for use in prosecuting the suspects.
The latest operations come against the backdrop of the NDLEA’s intensified campaign against the cultivation, trafficking and abuse of controlled substances across the country.
Beyond seizures and arrests, the agency has continued to combine enforcement operations with its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign, which targets schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
During the past week, NDLEA commands conducted WADA enlightenment programmes for students and staff of St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo State; Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra State; Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos State; and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba State.
The Delta Ports Command also 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.
Commenting on the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers and men of the Lagos, Tin-Can, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT Commands for what he described as professionalism and intelligence-driven operations.
Marwa urged personnel of the agency across the country to sustain the current approach, combining enforcement operations with prevention, public awareness and community engagement in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
