OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a clandestine laboratory where Colorado — a synthetic strain of cannabis — was being produced in a residential building located at Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos. Large quantities of freshly cooked Colos and various precursor chemicals used in drug production were recovered, while the 30-year-old laboratory owner, Stephen Kelechi Imoh, was arrested.
The discovery followed months of intelligence gathering on possible Colos laboratories in Lagos after NDLEA officers intercepted consignments of freshly produced Colos in March and May 2025. The development suggested that the dangerous psychoactive substance, which was hitherto imported into the country, was now being produced locally.
The effort paid off on Thursday, 30th October 2025, when NDLEA officers raided the residential apartment in Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos, which Kelechi had converted into a laboratory for producing Colos — a strain of cannabis made using the psychoactive plant and various chemicals. Recovered from the apartment were:
- Freshly cooked Colos weighing 16.2 kilogrammes;
- ADB-CHMNACA Cannabinol – 1.7kg;
- Potassium Carbonate – 4.5kg; and
- Dibromobutane – 91 litres.
In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, 1st November, raided the enclave of a 28-year-old drug dealer, Afeez Salisu (alias Malu), in Mushin, where they recovered 16 compressed blocks of Ghana Loud, another strain of cannabis, as well as designer sachets and bottles of Colorado weighing 16.4kg.
A music artiste, Godspower George Osahenrumwen, whose stage name is Steady Boy, was on Thursday, 30th October, arrested by NDLEA operatives while attempting to take delivery of a large consignment of Loud concealed inside three cartons of bathtubs imported alongside other items such as clothes and gadgets from New York, United States. This followed the seizure of the shipment, which arrived at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, aboard a DHL flight from the US on Tuesday, 28th October.
The 20-year-old artiste was apprehended at Bougain Villa, Primewater Gardens 2, Freedom Way, Lekki, Lagos, when he showed up as the consignee to take delivery of the 140 bags of Loud, with a gross weight of 77.20kg, on behalf of a syndicate which includes his manager, Zion Osazee Omigie (a.k.a. Zee Money), who is currently at large.
In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja–Jos highway on Sunday, 26th October, intercepted a consignment of 84,710 capsules of Tramadol coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, and heading to Bauchi. A follow-up operation in Bauchi led to the arrest of the recipient, Musa Abdulkarim (27). Two days later, on Tuesday, 28th October, operatives at the tollgate along the Abuja–Kaduna highway arrested Hamza Musa (47), who was conveying 32,946 bottles of Akuskura, a New Psychoactive Substance (NPS), from Lagos, while Saidu Nafiu (30) was nabbed with 131.5kg of skunk at Kamfanin Zangon Aya, Igabi LGA, Kaduna.
Three suspects — Seun Olaniyi (24), Rauf Asogba (28), and Ayinla Adeniyi (50) — were on Saturday, 1st November, arrested at Abeokuta, Ogun State, after NDLEA officers tracked their movement from Benin Republic and eventually intercepted their bus along Abiola Way, Abeokuta, recovering a total of 1,779kg of skunk.
Similarly, Jamilu Mustapha (a.k.a. Last Card, 46) was arrested with 596.4kg of skunk at Nasaru Town, Ningi LGA, Bauchi State, on Wednesday, 29th October. On the same day, no fewer than 532,600 pills of Tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered from Halilu Amiru, Rabiu Maikudi, and Ibrahim Mati in a truck marked KTG-791 ZZ at Oko-Olowo, Ilorin, Kwara State.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okhokho–Isi community in Uhunmwode LGA on Wednesday, 29th October, intercepted two Toyota Sienna buses marked EPE 545 EV and ABC 142 CD conveying a total of 1,455kg of skunk following credible intelligence.
In a similar development, operatives in Ondo State on Tuesday, 28th October, recovered a total of 2,829kg of skunk linked to a 32-year-old female suspect, Mrs Ige Olarewaju, from two locations at Ayede, Ogbese, while another suspect, Samuel Adebayo, was arrested with 737kg of the same psychoactive substance at Adegbola Junction, Akure.
No less than 76.5 litres of skuchies — a mixture of blackcurrant, skunk and opioids — were seized from Ige Oluwale (50), who was arrested by NDLEA officers at Ibereko, Badagry, Lagos, on Friday, 31st October. In addition, a total of 30,370 pills of Tramadol and 177 grammes of methamphetamine were recovered from Musbahu Abdullahi (28) and Saleiman Ahmed (25) following their arrest at Wukari, Taraba State, by operatives on Thursday, 30th October, while conveying the drugs from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State.
Meanwhile, commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities over the past week. These included WADA lectures at Aroje/Abaa Community High School, Ogbomoso, Oyo State; Amazing Flower Secondary School, Maya, Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Day Secondary School, Ilelah, Sokoto; Government Day Secondary School, Darina, Gwiwa LGA, Jigawa; and Royal Star Academy, Hayin Gwarmai, Bebeji LGA, Kano State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kaduna, Edo, Kwara, Ogun, Taraba, Ondo, Seme and Bauchi Commands, as well as their counterparts across the country for their resilience, professionalism and balanced approach to Nigeria’s drug control efforts, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), vowed that the Agency would continue to target and dismantle every identified drug syndicate in any part of the country while denying them the benefits of their criminal proceeds by ensuring that all traceable assets are forfeited to the Federal Government.
