President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the bust of a Nigerian-Mexican drug syndicate and dismantling of a multi-million-dollar drug network.

Tinubu described the operation as a major milestone in Nigeria’s fight against organised crime, narcotics trafficking and trans-border criminal networks.

The President’s position was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.

It was gathered that the Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), made the disclosure on Wednesday after weeks of intelligence gathering and coordinated operations.

The operation was carried out by NDLEA operatives and international security partners.

The agency said the operation resulted in the arrest of some foreign nationals, local kingpins and several collaborators.

During the exercise, more than $360m worth of chemicals and illicit drugs were also seized.

Tinubu said the successful operation was a demonstration of the professionalism, courage and commitment of NDLEA officers engaged in the mission.

The President lauded the operatives for their resilience, but warned them not to relax in the fight against drug trafficking.

“I commend the bravery, resilience and dedication shown by NDLEA operatives throughout this mission.

“I tell them not to be complacent in the face of the menace of drug trafficking,” the President said.

Tinubu said the operation had sent a strong message that Nigeria would not allow drug barons and organized criminal groups to operate freely within its territory.

The President also sounded the alarm that West Africa has been increasingly becoming a major transit route for illicit drugs.

He said drug barons were using the region to export cocaine, synthetic narcotics and unregulated pharmaceutical products to Europe and North America.

He said: “West Africa has emerged as a major concern in the global fight against narcotics, with drug barons using our region as a transit point for cocaine, synthetic drugs and unregulated pharmaceuticals.

The development had “serious implications for the security of the nation and the region,” Tinubu said.

Drug trafficking networks, he said, often fuel organised crime, corruption and violence across borders.

‘Drugs Threaten Youths Future’
Tinubu also warned that illegal drugs posed serious threats to young people across the region.

He said many youths had been victims of addiction and criminal exploitation as a result of the activities of drug trafficking networks.

“Drugs are not only a serious security threat for our region, but they are also a serious threat to the future of our youth, some of whom have become victims of the trade,” said the President.

The fight against narcotics must therefore be seen not only as a security operation but also as a national duty to protect the future generation, he added.

He urged Nigerians to support security agencies by being vigilant and reporting suspicious activities in their communities.

He said the fight against illicit drugs should not be left for the NDLEA alone.

“I urge all Nigerians to view the war against illicit drugs as not the NDLEA’s alone.

“Everyone has a part to play. “We should be vigilant and report any suspicious activities immediately,” he said.

“Timely information from citizens can help expose criminal operations and illegal trafficking networks across the country,” said the President.

Tinubu said the NDLEA’s latest success showed that Nigeria’s security agencies were determined to confront organised crime and enforce the law.

Those involved in crime that threats public safety would be put to justice, he said.

“This landmark success sends a strong message that our security agencies will not tolerate organised crime and criminality anywhere in the country and those who threaten public safety will face the law,” Tinubu said.

The President pledged that his administration would continue to support the NDLEA and other security agencies in their efforts to curb drug trafficking, safeguard communities and enhance national security.

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Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has dismantled a sophisticated Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine production syndicate following a series of coordinated raids that uncovered what authorities described as the largest clandestine drug laboratory ever found in the country.

Operations in southwestern Nigeria led to the arrest of ten suspects, including three Mexican nationals accused of providing technical expertise.

The operation, led by the agency, targeted a remote forest laboratory in Ogun State and properties linked to the alleged cartel leader in Lagos, NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa said during a media briefing in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Marwa said the raids, conducted by the agency’s Special Operations Unit over 48 hours, dismantled a “industrial-scale” methamphetamine manufacturing network run by Nigerian traffickers and Mexican collaborators.

Investigators said the main laboratory, concealed within the Abidagba forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, was disguised as a farm. NDLEA operatives arrested seven suspects at the site, comprising three Mexican nationals identified as Martinez Felix Nemecto, Jesus López Valles, and Torrero Juan Carlos, and four Nigerian collaborators.

Meanwhile, another tactical team arrested alleged cartel leader Anochili Innocent at his home in the Lekki area of Lagos. Searches of the property turned up the passports and mobile phones of the Mexican suspects, which authorities said directly linked him to the recruitment and management of the foreign operatives, investigators said.

Further raids on properties in Lagos on May 18 resulted in the arrest of two more suspects, bringing the number of detainees to ten, including the alleged kingpin, Mexican nationals and six Nigerian collaborators now in NDLEA custody.

Officers seized 2,419.48 kilograms of chemical materials, including crystallised and liquid methamphetamine, precursor chemicals and industrial solvents, the agency said. The NDLEA said the haul had a street value of about $362.9 million or over 480 billion naira globally.

“To put this into perspective, the 2,419.48 kilograms of finished and liquid methamphetamine seized represents millions of street doses that would have flooded our local communities and international markets, causing untold destruction, psychosis and violence,” Marwa said.

NDLEA called the seizure one of the biggest anti-drug operations in West Africa, highlighting increasing concerns of international law enforcement agencies over global narcotics syndicates moving methamphetamine production to regions with large rural areas and expanding criminal networks.

The latest operation comes after another multinational crackdown that involved the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and European law enforcement agencies, targeting a separate Nigerian-led trafficking network allegedly headed by Simon Amadi.

Marwa cautioned that the NDLEA would escalate operations against drug syndicates operating in Nigeria and alleged that international cartels were trying to broaden their manufacturing base in the region.

“We are acutely aware of the evolving tactics of these cartels, and the disturbing trend of importing South American cartel specialists to set up production factories in our rural communities,” he stated.

“No matter how deep you hide in the bush and how secured your gated estate is, the NDLEA will track you down, disrupt your networks and seize your ill-gotten wealth,” he added.

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Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA have intercepted consignments of cocaine and other opioids concealed in the walls of cartons used to pack clothes and other items being exported to the United Kingdom and Australia.

Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy, said in a statement on Sunday that the seizures were carried out on Friday, May 15, 2026, at a courier company in Lagos during an inspection of outbound shipments.

Babafemi said a total of 170 grams of cocaine was found concealed in the walls of a carton of clothing destined for Australia.

He also said that NDLEA officers recovered 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 1,100 capsules of tramadol and 100 ampoules of promethazine injection concealed in another carton in another parcel destined for the United Kingdom.

A wide range of opioids including; 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 1,100 capsules of tramadol and 100 ampoules of promethazine injection were recovered from another carton which has United Kingdom as its final destination,” the statement read.

NDLEA officers in Delta State destroyed a total of 65,000 kilograms of skunk on farms in the Ukwuani and Ughelli North local government areas. In follow-up operations, two suspects; Mahlon Peter, 52, and Godwin Vincent Osadera, 30, were arrested.

“In Delta state, NDLEA operatives on Sunday May 10 raided Ejeonu village in Ukwuani local government area where they destroyed 27,500 kilograms of skunk on 11 hectares of farmland and recovered 22.9kg of same substance while a 52-year-old suspect Ifeanyichukwu Peter was arrested in a follow up operation at Obiaruku.

In a similar raid in Orogun village, Ughelli North LGA on Tuesday May 12, a total of 37,500 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance was destroyed and 55.4kg of same substance recovered on 15 hectares of farm. A suspect was arrested, 30-year-old Godwin Vincent Osadera.

“This brings the total weight of skunk destroyed by NDLEA operatives with support from soldiers in the two operations to 65,000 kilograms.”

In Kaduna State, officers arrested a suspect, Abdullahi Hassan, on the highway between Abuja and Kaduna with 1,989 rounds of RLA 7.62mm military-grade ammunition hidden in sacks of garri.

“The suspect and exhibits have been handed over to another security agency for further investigation,” the statement said.

A large cache of military-grade ammunition was intercepted by NDLEA officers on patrol along Abuja-Kaduna highway, Kaduna on Tuesday May 12. While 361kg skunk was recovered and a suspect Husaini Suleiman, 42, arrested during a raid operation at Dan Magaji area of Zaria town, Kaduna state on Wednesday May 13.

A suspect, Abdullahi Hassan, 35, was arrested with the 1,989 rounds of RLA 7.62mm concealed in fresh white cassava granules locally called garri. The suspect and the exhibit have been turned over to another security agency for further investigation.

The NDLEA operatives arrested a 29-year-old businessman in the Federal Capital Territory for allegedly producing drug-laced cakes and cookies for parties in Abuja.

He was arrested at his Life Camp home where police recovered 800g of skunk and 2.70kg of drug infused cookies.

NDLEA operatives in the FCT Abuja on Monday, May 11 arrested a 29 year old businessman, Ogadi Peter who specialized in producing drug laced cakes and cookies for parties and social gatherings in the nation’s capital.

“Based on credible intelligence, he was tracked to his residence in Life Camp area of the FCT where he was arrested and 800grams of skunk and 2.70kg drug laced cookies recovered from him.

Other operations across the country led to several seizures including 181kg of skunk in Ogun State, over 105,000 pills of opioids in Taraba State and 1,388kg of cannabis destroyed in Edo State.

“While 181kg skunk was recovered from a suspect Aliyu Sani when NDLEA operatives raided Ogere area of Ogun state on Wednesday May 13, another suspect Sufiyanu Mohammed Misa, 27, was arrested with 105,850 pills of opioids including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 along Zaki- Biam road Wukari LGA, Taraba state on Thursday May 14.

“In Oyo state, two suspects, Adeleke Olamide Aliyah, 20, and Aloba Abdulazeez, 25, were arrested on Thursday May 14 at Challenge II, Saki town in connection with the seizure of 99 litres of skuchies. “A total of 1,388.4175 kilograms of skunk was destroyed on two farms on Friday May 15 when NDLEA officers raided Ago forest, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo state.

Kano State, operatives arrested another suspect in possession of 30.5kg of skunk and seized 1.2kg of tramaking 225mg pills concealed in a 25-litre keg of palm oil at Kofar Ruwa motor park.

Same day, 35-year-old suspect, Aminu Isa was arrested at Sabuwar Sharada area of the state with 30.5kg skunk and on Monday May 11, 2020, 25 litres jerry can of palm oil used to conceal 1.2kg pills of tramaking 225mg was recovered from Kofar Ruwa motor park in Kano based on credible intelligence.

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National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives have intercepted 4,173.5 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a high potency strain of cannabis, at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

The agency was quoted to have said that the illegal consignment had an estimated street value of N10.43 billion.

This was disclosed in a statement Wednesday by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

The agency said the seizure came after intelligence gathering, surveillance and tracking of the container from Toronto, Canada.

The container, which left Toronto on March 28, was transferred by rail to Montreal and placed on a vessel, Jakarta Express Voyage.

It arrived at the port of Tanger Med in Morocco on April 15, where it was discharged and reloaded on another vessel, Osaka Voyage before arriving at the port of Lagos on May 9, 2026.

The consignment was seized on Tuesday, May 12 during a joint examination by operatives of NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, the agency said.

Drugs Hidden In Cars
The agency said the consignments were concealed inside two vehicles, a used Ford bus and a Mercedes-Benz C300, hidden inside the shipping container.

The Director of Seaports Operations, NDLEA, ACG Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the operation demonstrated the importance of inter-agency and international collaboration.

She said the “achievement once again demonstrates the effectiveness of inter-agency cooperation, international collaboration and intelligence driven operations in combating transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.”

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the Tin Can Command and the Marine Intelligence Unit for their alertness and professionalism.

He said the volume of recent seizures indicated a coordinated effort by international drug syndicates to flood the Nigerian market with synthetic strains of cannabis.

“This second massive seizure in less than a week is a clear message to the international syndicates who think they can use our ports as entry points for their soul-destroying trade, that the synergy between NDLEA and Customs Service, as well as other security agencies and our international partners like the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, the UK-HOIO and the US DEA is yielding fantastic results,” Marwa said.

“We will not stop until all the links in this supply chain are severed and those responsible for these shipments are brought to justice.”

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The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Buba Marwa has said that smuggling illicit substances through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport has become very difficult due to the increased security and anti-narcotics operations.

Marwa said the Lagos airport is one of the most surveilled airports in the world in the war against drug trafficking.

He stated this on Tuesday at the headquarters of the NDLEA in Abuja when he received a delegation of the Narcotics Control Commission led by its Director-General, Maxwell Obuba Mantey, on a study visit on the operational strategies of the agency.

Marwa said greater collaboration between Nigeria and Ghana was vital in addressing the growing menace of drug trafficking and other criminal activities in the West African region.

“We realize that when we come together to share expertise on intelligence-led operations and interdiction strategies, we are effectively shrinking the space for criminal cartels to operate in our sub-region,” he said.

The visit was not a routine study tour but part of efforts to deepen strategic cooperation between the two anti-drug agencies, he said.

Marwa said the engagement would allow both sides to share ideas on intelligence gathering, digital forensics and institutional best practices.

He added that better cooperation would strengthen efforts to break up illicit drug networks, reduce the production of psychotropic substances and address money laundering associated with narcotics trafficking.

The visit saw NDLEA and NACOC signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to formalise cooperation between the two agencies.

The agreement was described by Marwa as a major step in the direction of boosting coordinated actions against drug syndicates operating in the region.

“This agreement on the fight against illicit production of psychotropic substances, their precursors and connected money laundering activities provides us with a legal and operational road map. It takes our relationship from informal consultation to a structured, aggressive and unified front against drug barons,” he said.

Mantey said the visit was meant to strengthen the existing relationship between both countries and enhance operational cooperation, in his remarks.

“This visit is not for us to start a new chapter, but to strengthen an already solid foundation, deepen trust, exchange experiences and make our collaboration even more practical and impactful,” he said.

He also noted that drug trafficking operations in the region are growing more sophisticated, requiring enhanced cross-border cooperation to tackle emerging threats effectively.

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) stopped 12 packages of cocaine that were hidden in the false bottoms of food flasks at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.

Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, said this in a statement on Sunday. He said that the 2.80-kilogram illegal shipment was on its way to the UK on a Virgin Atlantic flight.

The statement says that the drugs were stopped on April 9, 2026, and two cargo agents, Ama Obinna Ufeim, 33, and Ogabi Monday Akorede, 39, were arrested. The alleged sender, a 52-year-old freight forwarder named Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola, was arrested after more investigations.

On April 8, NDLEA agents seized 2.90 kilograms of “loud,” a strong strain of cannabis, hidden in snack packs on a Delta Airlines flight from the United States. This was part of a related operation at the airport’s import shed.

Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun, two cargo clearing agents, were the first to be arrested. Later, in Ogba, Lagos, the consignee, Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, a 29-year-old fashion designer, was also arrested.

On April 13, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Kaduna–Zaria highway stopped a truck carrying cement.

A search found 760 blocks and 33 jumbo bags of skunk, which is another type of cannabis, weighing 847 kilograms. Umar Garba Haruna, 33, who was driving, was taken into custody.

On April 16, police raided a forest in the Uwet community of Akamkpa Local Government Area in Cross River State and arrested a 53-year-old suspect named Alice Sunday Udoh. Operatives destroyed 15,000 kilograms of cannabis grown on six hectares of farmland and found another 119 kilograms.

A cannabis farm in the Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State was also raided on April 14, and 2,281.43 kilograms of the drug were destroyed. Three people were arrested: Nweke Smart, 27; Christopher Egbe, 62; and Monday Ayan, 45.

In Delta State, police caught two other suspects, Sunday Odili, 49, and Ijenebe Joshua, 39, with 87.838 kilograms of skunk and seeds.

On April 15, NDLEA agents in Lagos arrested Chinedu Ogbekene and Zindozin Aloukou Bienvenu along the Mile 2–Badagry Expressway. They were on their way to Ghana with 11,900 capsules of tramadol and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injection. On that same day, police broke into a building in the Petti area of Lagos Island and found 95.8 kilograms of skunk.

The agency said that its commands across the country also ran advocacy campaigns as part of its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. These campaigns were aimed at schools, religious centers, workplaces, and communities.

Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, praised the officers in the affected commands for their hard work and told them to keep up the good work in both enforcement and public awareness.

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A sizable shipment of cocaine that was hidden in the heads of imported dry stock fish headed for India was discovered by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) agents.

According to a statement released on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, said that the illegal material was taken from a gang that distributes the shipment to several countries, particularly India.

According to NDLEA, information about the drug syndicate’s transnational illegal activity led to their dismantling.

“A search of the bags led to the recovery of Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven (237) wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish known locally as “Okporoko,”” the statement stated. The total weight of the cocaine pellets is 5.80 kg. The shipment was meant to be exported to Delhi, India.

On Wednesday, March 25, NDLEA agents from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) in Lagos conducted another operation in which they stopped two illegal shipments that were being sent to the UK at a courier service.

1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine were discovered hidden in car filters in one cargo that came from Cotonou, Benin Republic; the other package contained 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl.

The statement further revealed that on Thursday, March 26, agents of the Agency’s Special Operations Unit conducted a significant interdiction operation at the home of 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, the head of a known drug syndicate, at 13 Carter Street in Yaba, Lagos.

“We arrested her and her sales girl, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, 31,” the statement emphasized. They were found to have 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a variety of cannabis weighing 76.30 kg. Omolade, also known as Iya Ghana, operates a drug distribution network between Ghana and Nigeria under the guise of a local fabric trader.

Additionally, on Thursday, March 26, NDLEA agents detained Oke Samuel, an 80-year-old grandfather, during a special raid operation at Mosafuneto Camp, Erinmo Road, Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State.

“A total of 2.2 kg of skunk and 1.8 grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him, while 894.72 kg of the same psychoactive substance was seized from another suspect, Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley, 37, when an unfinished building was raided by NDLEA officers at Ogbese, in Akure North area of Ondo state, on the same day,” the NDLEA agents reported. On Tuesday, March 24, a raid operation in Pevi village, Guma LGA, Benue state, yielded at least 116.7 kg of skunk from a suspect, Saater Nyam, 35. Meanwhile, on Monday, March 23, NDLEA agents in Edo state discovered a warehouse in Ekpoma town, Esan West LGA, which resulted in the arrest of a suspect, Felix Donald, 25, and the seizure of 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.

On Tuesday, March 24, NDLEA operatives in Taraba State, following on reliable information, stopped a vehicle with the license plate DUT 457 ZB that was transporting 100 blocks of compressed skunk, totaling 135 kg, from Garbachede to Gombe State. The blocks were hidden in sacks of animal feed.

Two suspects, Osama Mamuda, 21, and Auwal Umar, 22, were apprehended in relation to the seizure, according to the statement.

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men of the Agency’s MMIA, SOU, DOGI, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Taraba Commands for the arrests and seizures of the previous week. He also commended their counterparts in all of the commands nationwide for pursuing a fair balance between their efforts to reduce drug supply and demand.

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A 74-year-old grandfather named Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka was detained by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, following the discovery of a sizable cocaine shipment hidden in foil papers and balloons in his luggage.

According to a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy Femi Babafemi revealed that Emeka was detained by its agents at the Abuja airport’s departure hall on Saturday, March 14, 2026, while trying to board British Airways flight BA082 to Heathrow, London, United Kingdom.

When the septuagenarian’s luggage was searched, 11 kilograms of cocaine were found hidden inside food items, such as crushed dry pepper, which had been expertly wrapped in foil wrappers and balloons.

The statement also revealed that early on Monday, March 9, NDLEA agents in Lagos, acting on reliable information, arrested Maryam Olalowo at the Ikad Hotel and Suites on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, while she was trying to sell 20 grams of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis, and 89 grams of cocaine.

At the time of her arrest, she was discovered with her three children, one of them was a baby. She admitted that her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, was the owner of the illegal substances. He was later arrested that same day, but his wife was released right away.

“Ibrahim acknowledged in his statement that he was the owner of the illegal drugs, but additional investigation showed that he had been detained, found guilty, and given a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for a similar offense in 2015.”

Additionally, two suspects, Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim, were apprehended by NDLEA agents in another interdiction operation at Ebetu Ero, Lagos Island, where they found 68,000 tramadol 250 mg and 225 mg pills. On Monday, March 9, they loaded the exhibits into their truck and were getting ready to transport them to the Benin Republic.

The real owner of the shipment, Nnamdi Cyprian, was taken into custody during a follow-up operation on Wednesday, March 11, at the Idumota market on Lagos Island.

“A search of his shop led to the discovery of a parcel prepared for waybill delivery, containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg,” the statement emphasized. On Friday, March 13, a second raid at Idumota market resulted in Nwanosike Kelvin’s arrest and the recovery of 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from his store.

“NDLEA officers in Abuja found 282.2 kg of skunk from a suspect, Isah Wako, 42, in Gwagwalada area of the FCT on Friday, March 13, while a 42-year-old Magaji Dan Azumi was arrested at Bebeji area of Kano with 386 kg of skunk on Tuesday, March 10.”

Additionally, the NDLEA agents stormed the Egwa forest reserve in Aduan village, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo State, where they arrested 33-year-old suspect Chinedo Odalonu and destroyed 4,218.96 kg of skunk on two farms, recovering 16.5 kg.

According to the statement, NDLEA officers, Customs officials, and other security agencies together examined the cargoes on Saturday, March 14, and found no fewer than 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup in two containers at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.

The agency stated that NDLEA had previously placed the containers on a watch list due to reliable information about opioids being concealed in them.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men of the Agency’s NAIA, Lagos, Kano, Edo, and FCT Commands for the arrests and seizures made over the past week. He also commended their counterparts in all of the commands nationwide for attempting to strike a fair balance between their efforts to reduce drug supply and demand.

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Reginald Peter Chidiebere, a prominent drug kingpin, has been apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following 13 years of hiding.

Chidiebere was reportedly arrested after new connections to substantial shipments of heroin and cocaine.

Chidiebere was brought before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on charge number FHC/L/187c/2923. Chidiebere was initially detained in 2013 for the transportation of cocaine into Nigeria.

However, he went underground and skipped bail soon after being freed.

His name reappeared in February 2024 as a key figure in the smuggling of 49.70 kg of heroin from South Africa. At the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, NDLEA agents seized the shipment.

On February 19, 2024, a follow-up operation at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in the Okota neighborhood of Lagos resulted in the recovery of an additional 2.20 kg of heroin from Igbuanugo Ebuka ThankGod, one of his visitors.

After the operation, the agency frozen his bank accounts and obtained an interim forfeiture order against the hotel.

On February 13, 2026, Chidiebere finally turned himself in to the agency after having his assets banned and his freedom of movement restricted. He is currently being held in order to face new counts pertaining to the 2024 heroin seizures in addition to his outstanding 2013 accusations.

On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, NDLEA agents in Imo State broke up a covert methamphetamine lab at Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area.

Along with the precursor chemicals and equipment required to produce the illegal material, 18.4 kilos of methamphetamine were found.

The NDLEA described many operations throughout the nation in a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy.

Hadiza Musa, a Togolese woman, was stopped by police at the departure tarmac at the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, with 5,000 tramadol pills hidden in her suitcase.

Additionally, 1,040 kg of skunk were found by the operators in an unfinished building at Akodo village, Seaside Eleko, which is located along Lagos’ Ibeju-Lekki axis.

Ashiru Bala, a 45-year-old suspect in Kano State, was taken into custody with 1,499 vials of codeine syrup hidden in a Volkswagen Golf. In a similar vein, 21-year-old Yahaya Usaini was caught in Katsina State with 87.4 kg of skunk on the Zaria–Dutsinma road.

Adewale Fatunmise, 40, and Adebisi Korede, 25, were detained in Osogbo, Osun State, in relation to the confiscation of 18.085 kg of skunk.

Along the Bali-Suntai route in Taraba State, NDLEA agents stopped a Mercedes-Benz carrying 637,600 opioid pills, including exol-5, tramadol, and diazepam. Another operation in Lankaviri Yorro resulted in the recovery of 126.022 kg of skunk and the arrest of 27-year-old Musa Usman.

Along the Bama-Konduga route in Borno State, a 24-year-old suspect named Bulama Modu was found in possession of 7,000 tramadol capsules, while 499.2 kg of skunk were found in Dei-Dei, Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory.

Additionally, the organization stepped up its War Against Drug Abuse campaign by holding awareness-raising seminars in schools in the states of Niger, Oyo, Jigawa, Cross River, and Kano.

Officers of the MMIA, Seme, Lagos, Imo, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Taraba, Osun, and FCT Commands were complimented for the arrests and seizures by Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA.

In response to Chidiebere’s apprehension following more than ten years of evasion, Marwa stated that the organization was unwavering in its efforts to break up criminal networks.

He stated, “I commend our officers and men for their persistence and professionalism in this operation,” and he promised to keep up the agency’s efforts to bring drug traffickers to justice.

The most recent events highlight NDLEA’s increased campaign against drug trafficking organizations and its dedication to striking a balance between supply and demand reduction tactics across the country.

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Along the Zaria–Kano route, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) found 64 bags of cannabis sativa hidden inside a trailer loaded with cement. The agency arrested the driver and began looking into the criminal network.

Officers from the Kiru Area Command’s NDLEA Kano Strategic Command executed the seizure on February 2, 2026, after what the agency characterized as meticulous monitoring and intelligence-led surveillance.

Sadiq Muhammad Maigatari, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, said in a press statement on February 13, 2026, that the trailer had left Obajana in Kogi State and was on its way to Mubi in Adamawa State when it was stopped.

It was discovered that the vehicle, which was carrying cement that was purportedly made by Dangote Cement, was hiding the illegal shipment among the legal material.

According to D.Y. Lawal, commander of the Kano Strategic Command, the operation demonstrated the agency’s dedication to dismantling narcotics trafficking organizations.

“The diligent intelligence work and the commitment of our officers led to this seizure,” Lawal stated. It is thought that the drugs were meant to be distributed in Kano before to the start of Ramadan and were hidden inside genuine cargo. We will not permit drug traffickers to jeopardize our communities’ security and spiritual well-being.

The trailer’s driver has been taken into custody by the NDLEA until an inquiry is conducted.

Lawal went on to say that the Kano Command would step up enforcement actions throughout the state in accordance with orders from Mohamed Buba Marwa, the agency’s chairman and chief executive officer.

He declared, “We will strengthen checkpoints, increase patrols, and continue intelligence-driven operations throughout the state in accordance with the directives of our Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), CON, OFR.” “Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend all collaborators and facilitators as part of an ongoing investigation into the network behind this shipment. Those found guilty will face the harshest legal penalties possible.

By disseminating timely information, the agency also urged the public to support its initiatives.

The statement went on, “To protect citizens and preserve the peace and sanctity of communal and religious observances, continued community cooperation is essential.”

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