In a sweeping series of intelligence-driven operations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disrupted major drug trafficking networks across the country.
This development led to the arrest of several suspects and seizure of millions of opioid pills and tonnes of cannabis from syndicates operating in multiple states.
The operations, conducted between 1 and 6 December, led to the recovery of more than 7.6 million tramadol pills and 76,273.4 kilograms of cannabis, including Colorado, Loud and Skunk.
The coordinated raids targeted warehouses, forest hideouts, and vehicles used by drug trafficking organisations to move illicit consignments across state lines.
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One of the biggest breakthroughs came in Asaba, Delta State, where officers uncovered a warehouse at Oko market containing 3,874,000 tramadol tablets and 252.2 litres of codeine syrup.
A separate patrol operation in Imo State also yielded 1.2 million tramadol 225mg pills, intercepted from a vehicle en route to Onitsha.
Further north, Adamawa Command teams stopped a Toyota Hiace travelling from Jos to Mubi with over 1.5 million tramadol and exol-5 capsules concealed in jumbo bags.
Two suspects, Kabiru Buba and Hamza Abubakar, were arrested, while another suspect was detained in Kano for the possession of 197,000 exol-5 tablets.
Cannabis syndicates also faced major setbacks. In Ekiti State, NDLEA’s special operations unit stormed forest camps in Omuo-Ekiti and Asin-Ekiti, destroying over 68,900 kilograms of skunk and arresting multiple suspects linked to the operations.
A separate raid in Ondo State uncovered 5,442kg of skunk packaged in blocks and bags in Igoba forest, leading to five arrests.
Significant seizures were also recorded in Niger, the FCT, Lagos and Edo, including a 500kg consignment recovered from a Mercedes Benz van along the Mokwa–Jebba road, 22kg of Colorado intercepted in Abuja, and over 560kg of Canadian Loud and skunk seized in Lagos.
Across Edo State, combined forest and warehouse operations produced an additional 763.3kg of skunk, with two suspects detained.
While the crackdown intensified on supply chains, NDLEA formations nationwide sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres and communities, expanding public education efforts.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the affected commands for their diligence, noting that the arrests and seizures reflected the agency’s balanced strategy of supply reduction and demand reduction.
The agency said investigations into the various cases are ongoing, with several suspects already in custody as it deepens efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks nationwide
