The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized nearly 10 tonnes of cannabis and other controlled substances in a series of intelligence-led operations across six Nigerian states.
In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Mr Femi Babafemi said the raids, carried out in Niger, Edo, Anambra, Ondo, Lagos and Kano, led to multiple arrests and the interception of large consignments of skunk, Colorado, tramadol and pentazocine.
The largest single seizure occurred in Niger State, where officers intercepted a truck along the Dei-Dei–Abuja Expressway on 26 January. Three suspects were arrested after 176 bags of skunk cannabis weighing 2,735kg and one kilogramme of synthetic cannabis were found hidden in the vehicle.
Further investigations showed the truck had transported flour from Lagos to Ekpoma before allegedly being contracted to convey the drugs for ₦1.7 million.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers arrested a suspect attempting to move 792kg of skunk concealed in charcoal sacks, while a joint operation with the Nigerian Army led to the destruction of more than 4,000kg of cannabis on farmland in Ilushi.
Additional seizures followed in Anambra, where 345.2kg of skunk was discovered hidden inside a cement truck in Onitsha, and in Ondo State, where 473kg of cannabis was recovered and two suspects detained.
In Kano, officers seized 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine and 4,390 tramadol tablets from separate suspects, while in Lagos, operatives intercepted consignments of skunk at Alaba and the Seme border with Benin Republic.
NDLEA Chairman, retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa, praised the agency’s officers for the successful operations and urged continued commitment to tackling both drug trafficking and drug abuse across the country.
