Nigeria: NDLEA Intercepts Large Consignments of Illicit Drugs in 7 States

What the report says

Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said it intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs in seven states during a series of intelligence-led operations, according to a statement from its media and advocacy director, Femi Babafemi, cited by Vanguard and distributed by AllAfrica. The reported operations took place in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Ondo, Oyo and Edo, with seizures made in several locations and multiple suspects arrested.

In Lagos, officers reportedly stopped vehicles carrying skunk, a potent cannabis strain, with separate seizures on Kudirat Abiola Way in Ikeja and along the Gbagada-Oshodi expressway. In Oyo, NDLEA personnel said they disrupted a loading operation and recovered more cannabis, while in Kano they said they found large quantities of diazepam, Exol-5, tramadol and cannabis in different raids. The report also said arrests were made in Ondo during a forest operation targeting cannabis farms.

The agency also reported actions in Edo and Sokoto. In Edo, it said a cannabis plantation was destroyed and processed cannabis was recovered, while in Sokoto a 68-year-old suspect was allegedly found with skunk. The report did not say whether any prosecutions had begun.

The broader significance is that NDLEA continues to focus on cannabis cultivation, transport networks and pharmaceutical misuse across several states. Cannabis remains illegal in Nigeria except in tightly controlled research or medical contexts under the law, and enforcement agencies often frame such operations as part of efforts to disrupt supply chains and reduce drug-related harm.