NDLEA Intercepts Over 600,000 Opioid Pills In Nationwide Raids

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced numerous seizures and arrests throughout the country, intercepting hundreds of thousands of opioid pills, destroying large cannabis farms, and recovering illicit substances in various states.

According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, operatives intercepted 104,900 capsules of tramadol that were concealed in a fuel tanker at the Abuja-Kaduna toll gate on Friday, August 29. A suspect was arrested in connection with this consignment.

In Zaria, Kaduna State, another suspect was apprehended with 34.15 kg of cannabis sativa. In Maiduguri, Borno State, NDLEA officers arrested a man who was found with 30,640 pills of tramadol, 7,940 tablets of rohypnol, and ₦7.9 million in cash.

The agency also reported the arrest of a 75-year-old man along with others in Anambra State, who were in possession of various quantities of cannabis and opioids. Additionally, in Taraba State, a 71.5-hectare cannabis farm was destroyed, with over 178,000 kg of cannabis set ablaze.

Further operations in Nasarawa, Adamawa, Kano, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Ekiti states led to the seizure of over 500,000 opioid pills, processed cannabis, codeine-based syrup, and other narcotics, resulting in several suspects being taken into custody.

In what the agency described as one of the largest seizures of its kind in Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives recovered 5.3 kg of “Loud” and “Colorado” strains of cannabis, along with a small quantity of methamphetamine from a location in Ado-Ekiti.

The NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their operations and urged continued efforts in the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign. The agency also conducted sensitization activities in schools, communities, places of worship, and traditional institutions nationwide during the week.