By Ayo Kehinde
Nigeria’s anti-narcotics campaign recorded a major breakthrough as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced the interception of a consignment of the terror-linked drug, Captagon, in Kwara State.
The agency also reported multiple arrests and seizures across the country, including a suspect who excreted 45 wraps of cocaine.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (,Rtd), commended officers and men of the Kwara, Oyo, Edo, Cross River, Bauchi, Ekiti, Niger and Lagos Commands for the successful operations.
He noted that the agency’s drug supply reduction efforts are being effectively balanced with its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities. He urged them to sustain the current momentum nationwide.
Marwa praised the tactical precision of operatives following the interception of 10,000 pills of Captagon in Kwara State.
He described the seizure as a major blow to drug syndicates attempting to revive trafficking pipelines that have remained largely dormant since the landmark Apapa seaport seizure about five years ago.
He further described the development as a wake-up call. According to him, Captagon, a potent amphetamine often linked to insurgent groups, is dangerous because it suppresses fear and fatigue. “We are not just seizing pills; we are disrupting the fuel that powers violence in our communities,” he said, assuring that operatives remain on high alert.
NDLEA Spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday said the agency disclosed that the interception in Kwara followed intelligence-led operations along Bode Saadu road.
NDLEA operatives intercepted a trailer conveying passengers and recovered 10 packs of Captagon containing 10,000 pills. They also found nine packets of Tapentadol 250mg linked to a suspect, Nasiru Mu’azu.
In a related operation at the same corridor, officers intercepted a truck marked RMY-70XA on April 24. A search uncovered 155,900 capsules of tramadol, 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection, 3,000 tablets of co-codamol and 9,000 tablets of bromazepam.
The drugs were concealed in a false compartment. A suspect, Aminu Isah, was arrested.
In Oyo State, operatives intercepted a commercial bus along the Ibadan/Oyo expressway on April 21. A passenger, Eze Prince Emeka, was subjected to a body scan, which confirmed ingestion of illicit drugs.
He was placed under observation and later excreted 45 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.043 kilograms in three stages. Investigations showed he chose road travel to evade airport detection.
He planned to re-ingest the drugs for onward movement through trans-Saharan routes to Europe.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck along the Benin/Lagos expressway on April 25.
The vehicle was conveying 1,196,000 pills of pharmaceutical opioids. Two suspects, Osagie Igbinibo and Omijie Malik, were arrested. The consignment was reportedly heading to Onitsha.
In Lagos, a suspect, Rasheed Ibuowo, was arrested at Mile 2 while transporting 810 kilograms of Arizona, a cannabis strain. In Bauchi State, another suspect, Muktar Bello, was apprehended with 288 blocks of skunk weighing 154.5 kilograms.
In Ekiti State, operatives recovered 466.8 kilograms of skunk from the residence of a suspect, Layit John Matthew. The drugs were stored for onward transportation to Yola, Adamawa State.
In Cross River State, NDLEA officers, supported by soldiers, raided Uyanga community in Akamkpa Local Government Area. They destroyed 20,000 kilograms of cannabis cultivated across eight hectares of farmland. They also recovered 170 kilograms of processed cannabis.
In Niger State, operatives intercepted 394 components used in the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
The suspect, Mohammed Aliyu, was arrested along the Kontagora/Zuru road while transporting the materials. The case has been transferred to the relevant security agency.
Meanwhile, NDLEA commands across the country intensified WADA sensitisation campaigns. These were carried out in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.
Outreach programmes were held in Niger, Kano, Katsina and Lagos states.
The Zone 4 Commander, ACGN Bridget Viashima, also led a delegation on an advocacy visit to the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule.
The agency said its recent successes highlight strengthened operational capacity. It reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling drug networks, reducing abuse and safeguarding national security.
