NDLEA Seizes Over ₦3.4 Billion in Drugs Across Nigeria, Arrests Fake Police Officer

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted more than 1.3 million tablets and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, alongside about 6,000 kilograms of cannabis, in a series of intelligence-led operations across several parts of Nigeria.

The seizures, which also led to the arrest of several suspects, including a man allegedly using a fake police identity, have a combined street value of more than ₦3.4 billion.

The operations were carried out across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as the agency continued its efforts to disrupt the movement of illicit drugs from suppliers and traffickers to street dealers and users.

₦1.81 Billion Canadian Loud Seized in Lagos

One of the biggest seizures was recorded at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, where a 40-foot container that arrived from Montreal, Canada, on September 12 was intercepted.

Inside the container were two Toyota Sienna vehicles loaded with 31 black jumbo bags containing 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis. The parcels weighed 603.75 kilograms and were estimated to be worth about ₦1.81 billion.

The container was placed under surveillance before Customs and other relevant agencies conducted an inspection on September 16, leading to the discovery of the concealed cannabis. The drugs had reportedly been hidden inside the vehicles within the container, highlighting the different methods being used by traffickers to move large quantities of illicit substances into the country.

Suspected Fake Police Officer Arrested

Another major development from the operations involved the arrest of a 49-year-old man identified as Innocent Ekpe.

Ekpe was arrested in Asaba after he was stopped along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway while allegedly transporting 292.48 kilograms of skunk in another Toyota Sienna.

The case also exposed an alleged attempt to use a false security identity to move through checkpoints. In Lagos, the suspect allegedly used a fake identity card bearing the name Godwin Emeka and identifying the holder as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Another 39-year-old suspect, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested in connection with the incident.

The alleged use of a fake police identity adds another dimension to the investigation, as traffickers continue to find different ways of avoiding security checks while moving illicit substances across major routes.

More Than 1.1 Million Tramadol Tablets Intercepted

In another operation, two young men identified as 23-year-old Aminu Isyaku and 25-year-old Jamilu Habibu were arrested while allegedly transporting more than 1.1 million tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets.

The substances were reportedly packed in eight sacks and were being moved from Onitsha towards Mararaba.

The seizure forms part of the wider operation in which the NDLEA intercepted large quantities of pharmaceutical opioids and other controlled substances before they could reach their intended destinations.

In Lagos, operatives also raided a residence in Aguda, Surulere, where nearly 49,000 tramadol pills were recovered.

A separate operation involving a logistics company resulted in the seizure of 59 kilograms of cannabis and the arrest of a suspect identified as Luke Ugokwe.

Teenagers Arrested With Rifles in Niger

The operations also extended beyond drug seizures.

In Niger State, teenagers were arrested in possession of locally fabricated rifles and a pistol. The development points to the possible overlap between illicit drug networks and the movement of other illegal items, including firearms.

The NDLEA said the intelligence-led operations were helping to disrupt the supply chain before the drugs reached street buyers.

Agency spokesman Femi Babafemi, who disclosed details of the operations on Sunday, said the seizures also exposed the different methods traffickers use to conceal and transport illicit substances.

Some of the methods included hiding drugs inside vehicles transported in containers, while another suspected method involved impersonating security personnel to pass through checkpoints.

NDLEA Operations Continue Across Multiple States

The latest seizures add to a series of major drug interceptions recorded by the agency as it continues targeting trafficking routes and supply networks.

Beyond the financial value of the drugs, the seizures represent large quantities of substances that would otherwise have been distributed through different markets and communities.

The human impact of the drug trade also extends beyond the immediate arrests and seizures. Families living around trafficking routes can experience anxiety when major drug movements pass through their communities, while health workers continue to deal with the consequences of overdose, addiction and other problems associated with substance abuse.

The NDLEA’s latest operation therefore goes beyond the recovery of drugs from containers, vehicles and residences. It is also part of a wider effort to identify the people, routes and methods behind the supply chain.

For now, the drugs have been taken off the streets and the suspects arrested, while investigations continue into the networks allegedly connected to the seized substances. The agency’s challenge will be to trace the wider supply chains behind the individual arrests as traffickers continue to adapt their methods.