Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Jevaun Rhashan
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has conducted a wide-ranging series of intelligence-led anti-narcotics operations across Nigeria, disrupting organised drug trafficking, dismantling an illicit methamphetamine production facility in Imo State, and intercepting large consignments of opioids, cannabis and codeine-based syrups in multiple states. A senior NDLEA official confirmed the actions in a detailed statement released by the agency.
NDLEA operatives uncovered and dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, within Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State during a raid on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Officers seized 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine along with large quantities of precursor chemicals and specialised equipment used to synthesise the potent synthetic drug, signalling a growing trend of domestic meth production in the South-East region.
In coordinated seizures at the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos State, NDLEA officers at the departure tarmac intercepted a Togolese national, identified as Hadiza Musa, on Friday, February 27. She was reportedly found with 5,000 tramadol pills concealed in her luggage as she attempted to travel, following actionable intelligence that prompted a thorough search. The agency described the discovery as part of intensified efforts to check opioid trafficking at critical transit points.
On Wednesday, February 25, NDLEA teams also recovered a significant quantity of cannabis in Lagos, seizing 1,040 kilograms of skunk — a highly potent strain of cannabis — from an unfinished building in Akodo village, Seaside Eleko, along the Ibeju-Lekki axis. Authorities said the location was being used as a storage hub for large-scale distribution to urban markets.
Elsewhere, substantial illicit drug consignments were intercepted across northern states. In Kano State, a 45-year-old man, Ashiru Bala, was arrested on February 25 in Lambu, Tafa Local Government Area with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a Volkswagen Golf vehicle, illustrating the continued trafficking of abused pharmaceutical opioids despite regulatory controls.
In Katsina State, NDLEA operatives apprehended 21-year-old Yahaya Usaini on Friday, February 27 along the Zaria–Dutsinma road, seizing 87.4 kilograms of skunk transported in a Toyota Hiace bus, highlighting cannabis networks operating across state transit corridors.
In Osun State, two suspects, Adewale Fatunmise, 40, and Adebisi Korede, 25, were detained on Monday, February 23 after officers uncovered 18.085 kilograms of skunk in the Aregbe area of Osogbo. The arrests were linked to targeted surveillance aimed at dismantling local distribution cells.
One of the largest pharmaceutical opioid seizures occurred in Taraba State. On Thursday, February 26, NDLEA intercepted a Mercedes-Benz vehicle (registration KWL-607DC) on the Bali–Suntai road, recovering 637,600 opioid pills, including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5, allegedly en route to Baruwa in Gashaka Local Government Area. In the same region’s Lankaviri Yorro area, officers arrested 27-year-old Musa Usman and seized 126.022 kilograms of skunk.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, NDLEA recovered 499.2 kilograms of skunk in the Dei-Dei area — a known commercial and transport hub — on Wednesday, February 25, underscoring the reach of cannabis trafficking networks into central Nigeria’s markets.
Security forces also reported action in Borno State, where a 24-year-old man, Bulama Modu, was discovered on Tuesday, February 24 in a commercial vehicle along the Bama–Konduga road carrying 7,000 tramadol capsules destined for local distribution, in a region already grappling with complex security dynamics.
The NDLEA has tied this broad enforcement push to its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) programme, which combines supply reduction — through interdictions, arrests and seizures — with demand reduction via advocacy and sensitisation activities targeted at schools and communities. Leaders of the agency, including Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended officers from multiple commands for their persistence and professionalism, and reiterated a resolve to dismantle criminal networks and pursue traffickers wherever they operate.
The extensive list of seizures and arrests in diverse regions over a concentrated period reflects Nigeria’s evolving narcotics environment, where synthetic production and large-scale trafficking intersect with pharmaceutical and cannabis markets. NDLEA officials emphasise that sustained intelligence operations and multi-state coordination remain central to national efforts to curb drug proliferation and mitigate its social and public health impacts.
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