The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, alongside about 6,000 kilogrammes of cannabis, in a series of operations across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The agency said the seizures had a combined street value of more than N3.4 billion.
One of the biggest seizures was recorded at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, where operatives intercepted 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 603.75kg and valued at about N1.81 billion.
The consignment reportedly arrived from Montreal, Canada, on September 12, 2026, and was subjected to a joint physical examination by NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on September 16.
The drugs were concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles packed into a 40-foot container.
In Delta State, operatives arrested a 49-year-old man, identified as Innocent Ekpe, who allegedly impersonated a senior police officer to avoid scrutiny at security checkpoints.
Ekpe was arrested on September 16 along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba with 292.48kg of skunk concealed inside a silver Toyota Sienna bus. The agency said preliminary investigation indicated that he had allegedly been parading himself as a Deputy Superintendent of Police and using a forged police identification card.
A 39-year-old alleged accomplice was also arrested.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided an auto-repair workshop along Agbor Road in Benin City following intelligence that the facility was allegedly being used as a storage point for illicit drugs.
A 45-year-old suspect was arrested, while 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152 grammes of methamphetamine were recovered.
Another major seizure was made along the Abaji-Abuja Highway, where two suspects were arrested with more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets. The drugs were allegedly being transported from Onitsha in Anambra State to Mararaba in Nasarawa State.
In Lagos, operatives recovered 48,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg from a suspect arrested at Aguda, Surulere. Another 59kg of cannabis was intercepted at a logistics company, while a separate operation in Apongbo led to the arrest of a 43-year-old suspect with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
The agency also reported the recovery of 154,480 tramadol capsules from two suspects in Gombe State.
In Imo State, a 25-year-old suspect was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk.
Meanwhile, four suspects were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu Forest, Ondo State. The operation resulted in the destruction of about 5,000kg of skunk, while another 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered for prosecution.
In Niger State, three young suspects were separately arrested along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a locally made pistol, magazines and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition.
The NDLEA said its commands also continued public awareness campaigns under the War Against Drug Abuse initiative, targeting schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities in different parts of the country.
The agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel involved in the operations and urged officers nationwide to sustain intelligence-driven efforts while maintaining a balanced approach to drug control.
The latest seizures underline the scale of illicit drug trafficking operations confronting law enforcement agencies, particularly the movement of pharmaceutical opioids, cannabis and other controlled substances through ports, highways and local distribution networks.
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