NDLEA nets ₦3.4bn Drugs haul, Arrests Fake DSP and Teens with Rifles

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recovered more than 1.3 million opioid pills and capsules, roughly 6,000 kilograms of cannabis and other illicit substances valued at over ₦3.4 billion in coordinated intelligence-led operations across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The week-long sweeps, spanning Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the FCT, also yielded the arrest of a suspected trafficker who allegedly posed as a senior police officer, three young men found with locally fabricated assault rifles and a pistol, and several other suspects linked to storage, transport and cultivation of the drugs.

The largest single interception occurred at Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos. Acting on intelligence, officers monitored a 40-foot container that arrived from Montreal, Canada, on 12 September. A joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on 16 September uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud (a potent cannabis strain) weighing 603.75 kg and valued at approximately ₦1.81 billion. The drugs were concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags packed into two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container.

In Delta State, NDLEA operatives on 16 September arrested 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba. He was found with 292.48 kg of skunk hidden in a silver Toyota Sienna. Investigators said Ekpe had been presenting himself as “Godwin Emeka,” a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged identity card to pass checkpoints while moving drugs. A 39-year-old accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also taken into custody.

Further north in Niger State, three young men — Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18 — were arrested on 15 September along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi in Tafa Local Government Area. Officers recovered two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a magazine, a locally made pistol with magazine and nine rounds of 9 mm ammunition from a black travel bag in their possession.

Two days later, on 18 September, operatives stopped Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, along the Abaji-Abuja Highway. The pair were allegedly transporting more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets concealed in eight sacks from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba in Nasarawa State.

In Edo State, officers raided an auto-repair workshop on Agbor Road, Benin City, and arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai. They recovered 48 kg of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine from the premises, which investigators described as a storage front for illicit drugs.

Lagos yielded several additional seizures. Onyeka Ofor was arrested at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 tablets of tramadol 225 mg. Seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59 kg were intercepted at a logistics company, leading to the arrest of Luke Ugokwe. On 17 September, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38 kg of nitrous oxide gas.

In Gombe State, operatives recovered 154,480 tramadol capsules from Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, arrested at Barunde and Gombe Main Market respectively. In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was stopped along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85 kg of skunk.

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In Ondo State, a raid on a two-hectare cannabis plantation in the Ita-Ogbolu forest on 15 September resulted in the destruction of 5,000 kg of skunk. Four suspects — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested, and an additional 48 kg of dried and fresh cannabis was recovered for prosecution.

NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) praised the professionalism and intelligence-driven work of the Lagos, Tin-Can, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT commands. He urged officers nationwide to maintain the agency’s balanced strategy that combines interdiction with prevention and public education.

Throughout the week, NDLEA formations continued War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes in schools, places of worship, workplaces and communities. Lectures were held at institutions including St. Ferdinand School in Ogbomoso, Unizik Secondary School in Awka, Scholars Nursery and Primary School in Epe, and Government Technical Training School in Jalingo. The Delta Ports Command also conducted an advocacy visit to His Royal Majesty King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III, Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom.

The operations form part of the agency’s ongoing nationwide campaign against drug trafficking and abuse.