Monday, July 20, 2026

NDLEA intercepts 3.1 million pills of opioids, others in six states

In Kogi, NDLEA officers, on a stop-and-search operation along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on March 1, intercepted a commercial bus.

• March 3, 2024
Illicit drugs
Illicit drugs used to illustrate the story

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted over 3.1 million pills of opioids in Kano, Kogi, Abia, Lagos, Ogun, and Borno, respectively.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja said the operatives had raided some parts of the states in the past week.

Mr Babafemi said operatives in Ogun on Thursday, February 29, recovered a 169kg consignment of cannabis abandoned in a truck at Sagamu tollgate.

He said their counterparts in Lagos seized 25 cartons of tramadol containing 325,000 pills in Ikeja the previous day,  Wednesday, February 28.

“The same day, a suspect, Abdullahi Khalil, 42, was arrested, and 2,745,000 capsules of pregabalin were recovered from him at Singer market, Sabon Gari area of Kano State.

“He was handed over to the Kano State command of NDLEA by the Department of State Security Services (DSS),“ he said.

Also, the 243 Recce Battalion, Nigerian Army, Badagry, on Saturday, March 2, transferred 27 sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 1,110kg, recovered at a coastal community, Ajido, by soldiers, to the Seme Special Area Command of NDLEA.

“A suspect, Hassan Muhammad, 34, was on Saturday, March 2, arrested with 44,950 pills of tramadol in the Moranti area of Borno by the NDLEA operatives.

“In Abia, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, February 29, raided a drug joint at Cemetery Barracks, Aba, where Ifeanyi Uche, 37, was arrested with different quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.

“Another raid was carried out at the abandoned Enyimba Hotel, Ogbor Hill, Aba, where illicit substances were seized and the suspects arrested on Friday, March 1,“ he added.

In another development, In Kogi, NDLEA officers, on a stop-and-search operation along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on Friday, March 1, intercepted a commercial bus marked GRM 347XA (Borno).

Mr Babafemi said the bus was conveying 28 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) weighing 11kg.

Also, 100 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup and 500 tablets of diazepam, all concealed in three plastic drums covered with cattle fats, heading to Jos, Plateau, were intercepted by the officials of the NDLEA.

(NAN)

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Governor Ademola Adeleke, APC's Bola Oyebamiji and the scenarios of violence in Osun State

Heading 4

Osun governorship poll gathers momentum amid pre-election violence 

Mr Adeniran said political thuggery was still dominant in the state despite efforts of security agents to check criminal activities.

Lightning strike photo used to illustrate this story (Credit: Britannica)

States

Lightning strike kills six people in Adamawa

The police command in Adamawa has confirmed the death of six people following a lightning strike in the Ganye council.

Motorists on Calabar road

States

Cross River govt exempts women, elderly drivers from vehicle registration, levies

The Cross River government has exempted women in commercial transport and men aged 60 and above from paying vehicle registration and daily operational levies.

Ademola Adeleke and Oyebamiji

Politics

INEC says Osun residents’ PVCs ready for collection ahead of governorship poll

INEC has announced that PVCs of eligible voters who registered or updated their records during the recent CVR exercise in the state are ready for collection.

Spaniards celebrating

Sport

13-year-old boy killed as Spaniards celebrate 2026 World Cup win

A 13-year-old boy was killed after the Árbol Gordo fountain collapsed as football fans gathered to celebrate the country’s World Cup win.

Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (Credit: KADSEMA)

States

Gas tanker leak contained in Kaduna: KADSEMA

The executive secretary of KADSEMA, Usman Mazadu, said the agency has contained a compressed gas tanker leak in Kaduna South.