ABUJA, NIGERIA — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced Sunday a massive series of intelligence-led operations across Nigeria, seizing more than 7.6 million pills of tramadol and a total of 76,273.4 kilograms (more than 76 metric tons) of cannabis in various strains, including Colorado, Loud, and Skunk.
The raids spanned multiple states, including Delta, Imo, Adamawa, Ekiti, Ondo, and Lagos, resulting in the destruction of illicit drug warehouses and the arrest of several members of Drug Trafficking Organizations.
Opioids Seized in Delta, Imo, Adamawa
The largest single seizure of opioids was recorded in Asaba, Delta state, where NDLEA operatives recovered no less than 3,874,000 pills of tramadol (225mg and 100mg) and 252.2 liters of codeine syrup from a warehouse at Oko market on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.
In Imo state, officers on patrol at Orogwe, along the Onitsha-Owerri road, intercepted a vehicle driven by Kelechi Nwakocha, 35, on Wednesday, Dec. 3. They seized 1.2 million tablets of tramadol 225mg that were loaded in Aba, Abia state, and heading to Onitsha, Anambra state.
Further north in Adamawa state, a Toyota Hiace bus was intercepted on Monday, Dec. 1, along Maraba-Mubi. The consignment, headed from Jos to Mubi, contained 1,577,112 capsules of tramadol and Exol-5 tablets, concealed inside jumbo bags mixed with new rubber sandals and slippers. Two suspects, Kabiru Buba, 25, and Hamza Abubakar, 32, were arrested.
In Kano state, Mudansir Rabiu, 27, was arrested along the Zaria-Kano road with 197,000 pills of Exol-5.
Cannabis Warehouses Destroyed in Ekiti, Ondo Forests
NDLEA’s special operations unit targeted forest hideouts used for large-scale cannabis cultivation and storage:
Ekiti State: Operatives stormed forests in Omuo-Ekiti, destroying 14,654 kilograms of skunk and arresting two suspects: Yusuf Iliyasu, 50, and Okumu Chinedu, 26. A follow-up operation in Asin-Ekiti, Ikole LGA, saw the destruction of 54,300 kg of skunk in two large warehouses that were subsequently razed.
Ondo State: An intelligence-led raid in the Igoba forest in Akure North LGA on Tuesday, Dec. 2, resulted in the recovery of 2,483 compressed blocks of skunk and 247 bags of the same substance, totaling 5,442 kilograms. Five suspects were arrested, including Jacob Omodowo, 66, and Echi Fidelis Joseph, 57.
Other major cannabis seizures included 500 kg of skunk recovered from a Mercedes Benz van on the Mokwa-Jebba road in Niger state, leading to the arrest of the driver, Amos Yakubu, 46.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 22 kg of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, was intercepted at the Abaji expressway, leading to the arrest of female receiver Ali Blessing, 33, at the Jabi park.
NDLEA Chief Commends Dual Approach
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the officers for the successful operations.
“Their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated,” Marwa said.
The agency also continued its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) sensitization activities in schools and communities across the country throughout the past week, officials said.
