The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has conducted a series of intelligence-led operations across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo states, and the Federal Capital Territory, resulting in the interception of illicit drugs with a combined street value of more than ₦3.4 billion. The operations, which took place between September 15 and September 18, 2026, led to the seizure of large quantities of controlled substances.
The NDLEA seized 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 603.75kg and valued at ₦1.811 billion at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos. The consignment was concealed inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles loaded in a 40-foot container from Montreal, Canada. The container was subjected to a full joint physical examination involving NDLEA officers, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.
Among those arrested was a 49-year-old man, Innocent Ekpe, who allegedly impersonated a senior police officer, using a forged identity card to evade security checkpoints while transporting 292.48kg of skunk across state lines. Ekpe was arrested along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State. A 39-year-old accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested alongside him.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided a location along Agbor Road, Benin City, and arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai, who 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.
The NDLEA also intercepted more than 1.1 million tramadol tablets and capsules, 998.38kg of nitrous oxide, cannabis, and methamphetamine, and destroyed a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ondo State. In Niger State, three suspects were arrested with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition.
In another operation, NDLEA officers arrested Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, along the Abaji-Abuja Highway, who 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.
The NDLEA's operations resulted in the arrest of several suspects and the seizure of large quantities of illicit drugs, including 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, about 6,000kg of potent cannabis strains, and other controlled substances. The agency's War Against Drug Abuse campaign continues to yield results, with the latest operations marking a significant blow to drug cartels.
Key points
- The NDLEA seized ₦1.811 billion worth of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos.
- A 49-year-old man was arrested for impersonating a senior police officer and transporting 292.48kg of skunk across state lines.
- The NDLEA destroyed a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ondo State as part of its War Against Drug Abuse campaign.
