NDLEA INTERCEPTS N3.4BN LOUD, OPIOIDS, ARRESTS FAKE POLICE OFFICER, MECHANIC-DRUG DEALER, RECOVERS OVER 1.3 MILLION PILLS OF OPIOIDS, 6,000KG SKUNK, NABS TWO TEENAGERS WITH AK-47 RIFLES, PISTOL AND AMMUNITION IN SWEEPS ACROSS LAGOS, EDO, NIGER, DELTA, ABUJA, GOMBE, IMO AND ONDO

By Olayiwola Ibrahim // Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted over 1.3 million pills of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 6,000 kilograms of potent strains of cannabis, with a combined street value of over N3.4 billion in a series of major operational breakthroughs across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the FCT.

Topping the list of successful operations was the interception of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 603.75 kilograms and valued at One Billion, Eight Hundred and Eleven Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N1,811,250,000), and the arrest of a trafficker who impersonated a senior police officer to evade scrutiny at checkpoints while ferrying drugs across state lines.

The 49-year-old fake police officer, Innocent Ekpe, was arrested on Wednesday, 16th September 2026, by NDLEA operatives along the Benin-Onitsha expressway in Asaba, Delta State, with 292.48 kilograms of skunk hidden in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.

Investigations revealed that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged ID card to escape checks at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments.

An accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was arrested alongside him.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, stormed a location on Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai, who used his auto-repair workshop as a cover for storing illicit drugs. Officers recovered 48 kilograms of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine, along with a metal box used to store the substances.

At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived on 12th September, was placed under intensive monitoring by NDLEA operatives based on processed intelligence.

The shipment was eventually subjected to a full joint physical examination with Customs and other security agencies on Wednesday, 16th September.

The search uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75 kilograms, concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded within two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container.

In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway at Chachi, Tafa LGA, on Tuesday, 15th September, arrested three young suspects: Bashir Usman (20), Abubakar Nuhu (18) and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab (18), with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.

Two suspects, Aminu Isyaku (23) and Jamilu Habibu (25), were on Friday, 18th September, arrested by NDLEA officers along the Abaji-Abuja highway.

Over 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets/capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets concealed in eight sacks en route from Onitsha, Anambra State to Mararaba, Nasarawa State, were recovered from them.

In Lagos, a suspect, Onyeka Ofor, was arrested on Friday, 18th September, at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg, while seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were intercepted at a logistics company, with a suspect, Luke Ugokwe, taken into custody.

In another operation in Lagos, Ibrahim Hudu (43) was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas on Thursday, 17th September.

A total of 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects: Sabi’u Umar (27) and Hassana Muhammad (19), who were arrested at Barunde area and Gombe main market respectively in Gombe State on Friday, 18th September.

A suspect, Ifesinachi Godwin (25), was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha road, Imo State, with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday, 18th September, while four suspects: Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday, were nabbed during the raid and destruction of 5,000 kilograms of skunk on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo State, on Tuesday, 15th September.

No fewer than 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered from the location for the prosecution of the suspects.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include WADA enlightenment lectures to students and staff of St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra, Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos, and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba State, while the Delta Ports Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Majesty, King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III, Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Delta State, among others.

While commending the officers and men of Lagos, Tincan, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.