Nigerian anti-narcotics authorities have intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse, apprehending multiple suspects and seizing large quantities of illicit substances in coordinated operations across several states. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reported the arrest of three delivery riders allegedly distributing cannabis in the nation’s capital, Abuja, alongside a wave of interdictions targeting synthetic drugs and prescription medications elsewhere in the country.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, intelligence-led operations on July 30 led to the arrest of Sabo Sule (24), Samuel Nnamdi (28), and Idris Jibrin (28) in the Abuja districts of Gwarimpa, Jahi, and Galadimawa. Officers recovered 149.8 grams of Canadian Loud, a high-potency cannabis strain, from the suspects. Days later on August 2, two additional men—Aliyu Abubakar (25) and Adekunle Agbabiaka (30)—were intercepted on the Abaji-Gwagwalada highway with 91.1 kilograms of skunk, another cannabis variant.
Simultaneously, in Lagos, agents detained Joseph Michael in the Mushin area on August 3, confiscating 3.3 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis hybrid. Another Lagos operation in Yaba’s Iwaya neighborhood led to the arrest of Ibrahim Sulaiman, found with 16.5 liters of skuchies, a psychoactive liquid mixture often containing opioids and stimulants.
The agency’s enforcement efforts extended beyond major cities. In Benue State, officers seized 100,000 tramadol capsules—a prescription painkiller frequently misused as a recreational drug—from Hussein Yusuf (37) during a highway checkpoint operation. A separate raid in Ekpoma, Edo State, uncovered a warehouse storing 233.5 kilograms of skunk, resulting in the arrest of 44-year-old William Alabi.
Alongside these crackdowns, NDLEA teams expanded preventive education through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. Campaigns reached diverse groups nationwide, including Islamic schools in Yobe and Sokoto states, transport workers in Borno, and congregants at a Seventh Day Adventist church in Enugu. Traditional leaders like the Oluwo of Iwo in Osun State also hosted advocacy visits, underscoring community-based strategies to curb substance misuse.
The operations highlight Nigeria’s dual approach to drug control: disrupting supply chains through targeted enforcement while addressing demand via grassroots education. With cannabis remaining a frequently seized substance and synthetic drugs gaining traction regionally, the agency’s latest actions reflect ongoing challenges in balancing interdiction with public health measures.
