NDLEA Smashes Drug Rings in Lagos,Kaduna; Intercepts Ammunition Bound for North-West

​ABUJA, NIGERIA — In a major offensive against transnational drug syndicates and domestic insecurity, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered high-potency illicit narcotics shipped from Europe and intercepted a significant cache of military-grade ammunition.

​The developments, confirmed in an official statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, outline a series of successful interdiction operations spanning Lagos, Kaduna, Niger, and Enugu states.

​Smugglers Weaponize Home Appliances

​In a sophisticated attempt to beat border security, international drug traffickers concealed synthetic narcotics inside water purifier machines imported from the Netherlands.

​Operatives from the NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI) intercepted the cargo on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at a prominent courier firm in Lagos. A meticulous search of the appliances unveiled:

• ​3 kilograms of Ketamine (a powerful anesthetic often abused as a club drug).
• ​199 grams of MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy) pills.

​Massive Cannabis Bust and Ammunition Seizure in Kaduna

​The agency’s anti-narcotics net also tightened in Kaduna State, yielding a massive haul of illicit substances and dangerous hardware.

​On Sunday, May 24, 2026, tactical operatives raided a residential building in the Gonin Gora area of Kaduna. The raid led to the recovery of 100 jumbo bags of “skunk” (a high-potency strain of cannabis) weighing a staggering 1,246 kilograms. A couple, Musa Sunday and Mercy Sunday, alongside a 38-year-old female accomplice, Salomi Ezekiel, were arrested at the scene.

​On the same day, a separate highway patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway near Jere scored a vital victory against regional insecurity. Officers intercepted 30-year-old Sunusi Musa in possession of 380 rounds of RLA 7.62mm military-grade ammunition. Preliminary investigations revealed the suspect was smuggling the live rounds to Katsina State. The NDLEA has since transferred Musa and the recovered ammunition to sister security agencies for deeper counter-terrorism profiling.

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​Nationwide Dragnet Swallows Inter-State Traffickers

​The NDLEA’s coordinated clampdown extended across other regional transit corridors:

• ​Niger State: Acting on precise intelligence, operatives stormed a warehouse facility at Gidan Kukah in the Bosso Local Government Area on Wednesday, May 27. The team recovered 457 kilograms of skunk and subsequently tracked down and arrested the prime suspect, Godwin Zakka, 46, at his home in Gbeganu, Minna.
• ​Enugu State: On Thursday, May 28, a Taraba-bound commercial bus (registration number JAY-158-YF) was intercepted along the busy Onitsha-Enugu Expressway. A thorough search exposed an assortment of controlled pharmaceutical opioids, including 22,000 pills of Tramadol, 100 ampoules of Pentazocine, and 200 grams of Bromazepam. The courier, James Maigari Wisdom, was taken into custody.

​Marwa Commends Troops, Pushes WADA Campaign

​While enforcing aggressive drug supply reduction, the agency simultaneously intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) grassroots sensitization. Over the past week, advocacy lectures were delivered to students and educators at several institutions, including Government Secondary School in Adiabo, Cross River; St. Patrick’s Memorial College in Wukari, Taraba; Roman Catholic Mission Nursery and Primary School in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos; and Kings Secondary School in Amawbia, Anambra State.

​Reacting to the successful operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), highly commended the dedication of the officers across the Kaduna, Niger, Enugu, and DOGI formations.

​Marwa lauded the balance between relentless enforcement and community enlightenment, warning drug cartels that the agency will remain uncompromising in safeguarding the nation’s security and public health.