Nigeria: NDLEA Intercepts Drug-Laden Fuel Tanker With 2.1 Tonnes of Cannabis

What the report says

Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said it intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker carrying a hidden compartment with 2,145kg of cannabis, according to Leadership, which was distributed by AllAfrica. The vehicle, marked MKA 960 XC, was stopped on the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State on 4 September 2026 after the driver allegedly failed to stop for operatives. The driver later abandoned the tanker at a church compound in Ugbe Akoko and fled.

A search of the tanker reportedly uncovered 165 bags of cannabis concealed beside a legitimate fuel load said to be bound for Jos, in Plateau State. The agency said the vehicle had been used before to avoid arrest, making the seizure part of its broader effort to disrupt traffickers using increasingly sophisticated concealment methods.

NDLEA also said the operation was part of a wider nationwide crackdown that produced drug seizures and arrests in nine states. Those included opioid tablets, synthetic cannabis, cannabis-infused confectionery, skunk, methamphetamine and assorted controlled pharmaceuticals. The agency said the actions show the scale and variety of drug trafficking routes being monitored across Nigeria.

NDLEA chairman Mohamed Marwa urged officers to maintain an intelligence-led approach and warned traffickers who hide behind legitimate businesses that they would still be traced. The agency said its enforcement work is being paired with public education campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse program.