The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted illicit drugs valued at more than N3.4 billion in coordinated operations across several states and the Federal Capital Territory, while arresting a 49-year-old man accused of impersonating a senior police officer to evade security checks.
The operations, disclosed by the agency on Sunday, September 20, 2026, resulted in the recovery of more than 1.3 million tablets and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, alongside approximately 6,000kg of cannabis.
The seizures were recorded in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe and Imo states, as well as the FCT, highlighting the scale of the NDLEA’s recent intelligence-led enforcement operations.
The agency’s largest single seizure involved Canadian Loud intercepted at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, where operatives recovered 1,200 parcels weighing 603.75kg and estimated by the NDLEA to be worth N1.811 billion.
According to the NDLEA, the cannabis consignment arrived at the Lagos port from Montreal, Canada, on September 12.
Intelligence gathered by the agency prompted surveillance of the 40-foot container before a joint physical examination involving NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on September 16.
Investigators discovered the drugs concealed in 31 black jumbo bags, which had been loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container.
The seizure accounted for a substantial portion of the total street value announced by the agency and underscores the role of port inspections and intelligence-sharing in disrupting international drug shipments.
The NDLEA said the Canadian Loud was among several drug consignments intercepted during operations conducted over the reporting period.
Key figures from the operations
- More than N3.4bn: Combined estimated street value of seized drugs.
- 1.3 million-plus: Tramadol and other opioid pills and capsules recovered.
- About 6,000kg: Cannabis intercepted or destroyed.
- 603.75kg: Canadian Loud seized at Tin-Can Island Port.
- N1.811bn: NDLEA’s stated value of the Canadian Loud shipment.
- 292.48kg: Skunk allegedly found in the possession of the suspected fake police officer.
A separate operation in Delta State led to the arrest of Innocent Ekpe, 49, along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba on September 16.
The NDLEA said Ekpe was allegedly transporting 292.48kg of skunk in a silver Toyota Sienna bus.
According to the agency, preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect allegedly presented himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and used a forged police identification card to avoid scrutiny at checkpoints.
Another suspect, identified as Nduka Joseph, 39, was also arrested in connection with the operation.
The allegations remain subject to investigation and any subsequent court proceedings.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided an auto-repair workshop on Agbor Road in Benin City.
The agency arrested a 45-year-old man and recovered:
- 48kg of Canadian Loud
- 152 grammes of methamphetamine
- A metal box allegedly used to store illicit substances
The NDLEA said the workshop was allegedly being used as a cover for drug storage.
The operation forms part of a wider pattern identified by the agency in which illicit drugs were allegedly concealed or moved through different commercial and residential settings.
A major pharmaceutical-drug seizure was also recorded in Niger State.
NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects along the Abaji-Abuja Highway on September 18, recovering more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, as well as codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets.
The agency said the drugs were packed in eight sacks and allegedly being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
Earlier, three other suspects were arrested at Chachi in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
Authorities said those suspects were found with firearms and ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.
The nationwide operations also produced several significant recoveries.
In Lagos, operatives recovered 48,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg from a suspect arrested at a residence in Aguda, Surulere. Another 59kg cannabis consignment was intercepted at a logistics company.
At Apongbo, Lagos, a 43-year-old suspect was arrested with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, NDLEA officers recovered 154,480 tramadol capsules from two suspects arrested separately at Barunde and Gombe Main Market.
An additional 43.85kg of skunk was recovered from a 25-year-old suspect along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
In Ondo State, four suspects were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest. The operation resulted in the destruction of 5,000kg of skunk, while 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered for prosecution.
Beyond arrests and seizures, the NDLEA said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign during the week.
The programme targeted schools, religious institutions, workplaces and communities, with recent sensitisation activities reported in Oyo, Anambra, Lagos and Taraba states.
The agency also said its Delta Ports Command conducted an advocacy visit to the traditional ruler of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom in Delta State.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel involved in the operations and urged officers nationwide to maintain what he described as a balanced approach to drug control.
The latest seizures demonstrate the breadth of the agency’s current enforcement activity, covering international imports, highway trafficking, pharmaceutical opioids, cannabis cultivation and alleged concealment of drugs in commercial premises. Further investigation and prosecution will determine the legal outcome of the individual cases.
