The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in consolidated cargoes, music speakers and loaves of bread.

The seizures were recorded during coordinated operations across several states, with at least seven suspects arrested.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi disclosed the arrests and seizures in a statement issued on Sunday.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, operatives intercepted a UK-bound consolidated cargo containing 27 parcels of Colorado weighing 32.20kg.

A follow-up operation involving another UK consignment led to the arrest of Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, 44.

The agency said Kadiri was designated to receive another consignment weighing 12.25kg. It added that he told investigators the package had been sent by his brother in the United Kingdom.

In another Lagos operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a music speaker containing three packs of Colorado at Maza-Maza motor park.

The consignment was reportedly headed for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with Liberia identified as its eventual destination.

A tour agent, Ifeanyi Augustine, 41, and the alleged owner of the consignment, Obasi Ugochuckwu, 46, were arrested during a sting operation.

At Iddo motor park, operatives also arrested Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry on September 11 while he allegedly attempted to dispatch 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.

Beyond Lagos, the agency reported significant seizures of pharmaceutical drugs and other controlled substances in Delta State.

Operatives recovered pentazocine injections, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam and MDMA during separate operations in Ughelli and Asaba.

Two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested after some of the substances were concealed inside music speakers.

In Kano State, NDLEA operatives arrested 20-year-old Saidu Adamu in Sabon Gari with 785,000 capsules of pregabalin weighing 669.425kg.

Another operation along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia Road resulted in the seizure of 1,700 tablets concealed inside loaves of bread.

The drugs were allegedly being conveyed by 28-year-old Habibu Sabitu.

In Plateau State, operatives arrested 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor at Katako Market, Jos, with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.

The agency also reported cannabis seizures and destruction of cultivated plants in Edo State.

NDLEA said its operatives destroyed 4,832.56kg of cannabis during operations in forests across Ovia South-West, Owan East and Owan West local government areas.

A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was arrested during the operation.

In Ondo State, officers recovered 186kg of cannabis allegedly concealed in the boot of a Toyota Avalon.

The seizure followed a raid at a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure, where 58-year-old Paul Ogbuwala was arrested.

The agency said the consignment was allegedly destined for Jos for onward distribution.

In Kaduna State, NDLEA officers arrested Hannah Michael at Gonin Gora with 369.6kg of cannabis.

Four suspects were also arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg.

The suspects were identified as 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, Motombo Silver, 44, Pere Andrew, 39, and Keme Andrew, 43.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations.

Marwa directed personnel to sustain efforts against drug trafficking networks across airports, seaports, land borders and cannabis-producing areas.

The latest seizures highlight the agency’s continued focus on intercepting illicit drug shipments at entry points and within domestic distribution networks. NDLEA maintains dedicated operations covering surveillance, searches, raids, arrests and drug interdiction.

The suspects are expected to face further investigation and possible prosecution under Nigeria’s drug-control laws.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for another five-year term.

The announcement was made on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

Marwa, first appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, will now lead the NDLEA until 2031. Before his initial appointment, he chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020.

A former military governor of Lagos and Borno States, Marwa is an alumnus of the Nigerian Military School, the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), the University of Pittsburgh, and Harvard University. His military career includes roles as brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Army Staff, and Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Mission to the United Nations.

During his tenure, the NDLEA recorded major drug busts, including the arrest of over 73,000 drug traffickers and the seizure of more than 15 million kilogrammes of illicit substances.

The agency also intensified nationwide campaigns against drug abuse.

President Tinubu commended Marwa’s performance, describing his renewed term as a vote of confidence and urging him to sustain the agency’s momentum against drug trafficking and abuse.

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The Lagos State Government has warned that it will revoke home allocations of residents in government-owned estates who violate estate regulations.

Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, gave the warning during a stakeholders’ forum at the Sir Michael Otedola Housing Estate, Epe. Represented by Permanent Secretary Engr. Abdulhafiz Toriola, he said compliance with maintenance fees, insurance payments, and design standards is essential to preserving estate quality.

Toriola cautioned against unauthorized structural changes and warned that those yet to take possession of their homes risk losing them. He added that housing projects are for genuine residents, not speculators.

The Ministry, he said, is working with NDLEA and security agencies to identify residents involved in drug or criminal activities. Anyone found guilty will have their allocations revoked.

Residents were urged to pay facility fees promptly, report suspicious behavior, and support plans for alternative power solutions and infrastructure upgrades across estates.

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The demonstrators, primarily youths from affected villages, voiced deep frustration over the growing spate of kidnappings, killings, and violent attacks by suspected criminal groups. Chanting slogans and calling for urgent intervention, they decried what they described as years of abandonment by both local authorities and traditional leaders.

“We are no longer safe. People are being kidnapped almost every day, and we live in fear. No one is coming to our aid—not the governor, not the chairman, not even the Emir,” a protester said.

The protest followed a series of abductions in recent days that have left residents terrified. Local sources reported that three people, including a popular Point of Sale (POS) operator identified as “Yman,” were abducted in two separate incidents between Sunday night and Monday morning. Yman was reportedly taken from Lafiagi town, while two other victims were kidnapped during a violent raid on Kokodo village. A young girl reportedly escaped the attackers by fleeing into the bush.

The unrest intensified after the abduction of a well-known agro-chemical trader, Alhaji Chemical, who was seized from his residence around 1 a.m. on Sunday. Witnesses said the kidnappers, armed with sophisticated weapons, arrived on motorcycles and overpowered the local vigilante group before fleeing with their victim.

“This protest didn’t happen overnight,” said another resident. “We’ve endured repeated attacks and kidnappings. The government has ignored us, and people have reached their breaking point.”

The protests, which turned violent, saw protesters break windows and damage property at the Emir’s palace while demanding accountability from traditional and political leaders. The burning of the NDLEA office was seen as a symbolic expression of frustration over perceived state inaction.

As of press time, security personnel had been deployed to restore order in the community. However, there has been no official response from the Kwara State Government or the Emir of Lafiagi regarding the demonstrations or the ongoing security crisis. Concerns continue to mount across Kwara North, with calls for sustained government intervention to address insecurity in the region.

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In a bold move to curb the spread of drug activities in Ondo State, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a strong caution to traditional rulers: stop handing over land to those involved in the cultivation of illegal substances.

This warning comes after the agency apprehended nearly 300 individuals linked to narcotics between January and March 2025. The state commander, Nanzing Daniel Salah, speaking from the NDLEA office in Akure, expressed deep concern about the increasing number of cannabis farms sprouting in forests under the authority of monarchs and other traditional leaders.

According to Salah, these farms are not just harming the environment but are also bankrolling criminal networks across the state. “When you sell land to these cultivators, you are indirectly empowering crime,” he said. “These forests are being destroyed, and fertile lands that could be used for food are instead growing drugs.”

Salah revealed that the agency, with the help of other security outfits, had taken down over 29,000 hectares of cannabis plantations and confiscated more than 22,000 kilograms of illegal drugs in just the first half of the year.

He didn’t stop there. The NDLEA boss criticized some local communities for allegedly protecting offenders rather than helping the agency track them down. He emphasized that cooperation from locals is critical in dismantling the drug networks thriving in rural areas.

Still, it’s not all grim. Salah proudly noted that 130 users had completed rehabilitation during the same period, and the courts handed down convictions to 33 offenders. Five vehicles connected to trafficking activities were also seized and forfeited to the government.

As the war on drugs intensifies in Ondo, the NDLEA is sending a clear message: monarchs and communities alike must choose between protecting their lands or enabling the spread of drug.

 

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The initiative was unveiled during a strategic engagement between the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the State Police Command in Benin City. Commander of the NDLEA in Edo, Mitchell Ofoyeju, led the delegation in a courtesy visit to Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Ogbonika, at the police headquarters.

The meeting brought together several prominent stakeholders, including Hon. Ogheneovo Andrew, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Drug Policy, and Rev. Fr. Dr. Fidelis Arhedo, Executive Director of the Uromi Justice Development and Peace Commission. Their goal: to chart a unified response to the growing threat of drug trafficking and related crimes in the state.

Commander Ofoyeju highlighted the importance of inter-agency cooperation and community engagement in confronting the drug crisis. “Combatting illicit drugs is not the responsibility of one agency alone. It requires shared intelligence, coordinated enforcement, and sustained public awareness,” he stated.

He also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug cartels while promoting grassroots education through the national War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign spearheaded by NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd).

Commissioner Ogbonika welcomed the collaboration, noting that joint efforts with the NDLEA and community leaders would enhance crime prevention strategies. “We must form a resilient stakeholder forum tasked with implementing practical measures to eliminate drugs and criminal activity in our communities,” he said.

Reinforcing the state government’s stance, Hon. Ogheneovo said Governor Monday Okpebholo is fully behind the anti-drug efforts and willing to support policy and operational initiatives that protect young people from the dangers of substance abuse.

“We must act swiftly and decisively to rid our streets of illicit drugs. The administration is prepared to back all serious interventions,” he assured.

Community leader and advocate, Rev. Fr. Arhedo, stressed the role of public participation in achieving lasting impact. He called for awareness drives in schools, religious centres, and neighborhoods to educate vulnerable populations and prevent addiction.

As a symbolic gesture, both CP Ogbonika and Hon. Ogheneovo were decorated as official WADA Partners by the NDLEA Commander. They also received recent editions of NDLEA Today, a publication that highlights the agency’s national efforts.

Observers say the outcome of this meeting marks a significant step toward building a united front against drug trafficking and reinforcing public safety initiatives in Edo State.

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Presiding over the ceremony, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), emphasized that the dual commissioning reflects the Federal Government’s commitment—under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—to improving the capacity and welfare of security operatives across the country.

The newly inaugurated facilities include a fully equipped rehabilitation centre for individuals battling drug addiction, and two terrace housing units designed to provide secure and comfortable accommodation for NDLEA officers serving in Kano and across the North West zone.

“This commissioning is more than just the unveiling of new buildings—it is a statement of care, dignity, and commitment to the wellbeing of our officers,” Marwa noted, stressing that suitable living conditions are essential to boosting morale and effectiveness in the war against illicit drug trafficking.

He also referenced similar ongoing and completed projects, including the agency’s first-ever barracks in Yola, Adamawa State, and newly finished barracks in Abuja awaiting presidential commissioning. Additional housing projects are also underway in Enugu and Lagos.

Marwa praised the dedication and sacrifices of NDLEA personnel, particularly those serving in Kano, a region with a strategic position due to its international borders and airport. He urged officers to remain focused and committed to their duties, reminding them of the significant progress made through arrests, seizures, and convictions in the past year.

As part of the day’s event, the NDLEA also celebrated the promotion of Maryam Gambo Sani to the rank of Deputy Commander General of Narcotics (DCGN), with Marwa congratulating her on the milestone and encouraging others to continue striving for excellence.

He concluded by extending heartfelt appreciation to President Tinubu for his continued support of the NDLEA and its mission to build a drug-free Nigeria.

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