Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker fitted with a concealed compartment used to transport 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis, in one of several major drug seizures recorded across nine states.
The tanker, marked MKA 960 XC, was intercepted along the Akoko-Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State on Friday, September 4, 2026, after its driver allegedly refused to stop when flagged down by NDLEA officers.
According to NDLEA Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, the driver abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled into the bush.
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a false compartment concealed within the tanker, where 165 bags containing 2,145kg of cannabis were hidden alongside the legitimate fuel cargo reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
The NDLEA said the tanker had previously evaded arrest during several operations, making its interception a significant breakthrough in the agency’s intelligence-led efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
The seizure was part of a wider coordinated crackdown by NDLEA operatives across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states, during which large quantities of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, codeine and other psychotropic substances were recovered.
In Lagos, operatives recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at more than N1.1 billion, concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment from Pakistan. Another 57.80kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, valued at more than N173 million, was recovered from a shipment originating from Singapore.
The agency also intercepted 598.08kg of cannabis-laced cookies and gummies, contained in 890 packets, in a 40-foot container at the Tincan Port in Lagos. The seizure was linked to an earlier interception involving 842.54kg of cannabis-infused cookies.
In Adamawa State, NDLEA operatives recovered 864,000 opioid pills, mainly tramadol, from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect. Another 2kg of methamphetamine was seized during a separate operation in Michika.
In Kogi State, officers intercepted a bus travelling from Ondo State to Jos along the Okene-Lokoja highway and recovered 636kg of cannabis concealed in bags of chicken manure.
In Taraba State, more than 109kg of assorted controlled substances—including tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin—were recovered from a vehicle travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State.
In Kaduna State, NDLEA officers intercepted a truck loaded with bags of cement along the Zaria-Kano Expressway and recovered 1,179kg of skunk.
In Ekiti State, operatives destroyed a four-hectare cannabis farm in the Efon-Alaaye forest and recovered 117kg of already harvested skunk.
The nationwide operations also extended to Enugu State, where 40,590 capsules of tramadol were recovered during an interception at Ugbema Junction.
Babafemi said the seizures underscored the agency’s continued reliance on intelligence-led operations to dismantle drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit substances from reaching the public.
He added that the coordinated operations formed part of the agency’s sustained efforts to disrupt traffickers who continue to devise new methods of concealing and transporting illicit drugs.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and men involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
Marwa stressed that traffickers attempting to evade detection by adopting new identities, operating behind legitimate business fronts or using sophisticated concealment methods would continue to be tracked down by the agency.
