NDLEA Smashes Drug Syndicates in Nationwide Festive Season Blitz

Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting

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In a major nationwide offensive against drug trafficking organisations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disrupted at least six syndicates, arresting nine kingpins and seizing tonnes of assorted illicit substances in a series of intelligence-led operations.

The crackdown yielded significant results across multiple states. In a sophisticated operation, NDLEA officers in Onitsha, Anambra State, arrested two members of a drug trafficking organisation on Tuesday, 18th November 2025. The pair were apprehended as they arrived to collect a consignment hidden inside pressure machine cylinders shipped from South Africa. The haul included 5.40 kilograms of methamphetamine, 10.70 kilograms of ‘Loud’ cannabis, 16 grams of cocaine, and various cutting agents.

The consignment had initially been intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos days earlier, prompting a successful sting operation in Onitsha.

In a separate incident at the Lagos airport, operatives on Thursday, 20th November, discovered 2.30 kilograms of cocaine concealed within 48 pellets inside a brake servo automobile part destined for Gabon. A freight agent and an auto parts dealer were arrested in connection with the seizure.

The agency’s efforts extended across the country:

· In Kogi State, a trailer carrying 4,700 kilograms of skunk cannabis was intercepted, leading to the arrest of the kingpin in Plateau State.

· A couple was arrested in Cross River State at a warehouse containing 4,706 kilograms of skunk.

· In Edo State, two women who allegedly produced and sold drug-laced brownies online were nabbed in Benin City.

· A patrol in Enugu intercepted a suspect carrying skunk, over 105,000 tramadol pills, 700 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and 3,000 rounds of live ammunition.

· Operations in Kebbi, Niger, and Borno states led to the seizure of vast quantities of codeine syrup and opioid pills, with one arrest made near a suspected Boko Haram enclave.

· In Lagos, multiple seizures included Canadian Loud and Colorado cannabis, some ingeniously concealed within flight boarding passes.

Alongside these enforcement actions, NDLEA commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation lectures in schools, places of worship, and communities across the nation.

Commending the officers involved, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged them to maintain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control. He justified the intensified crackdown, stating, “The coming festive season is often exploited by criminal elements. Drug cartels may attempt to increase their illegal activities, seeking to profit during the busy holiday period. We must not, and we will not, let down our guard.”