Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
ABUJA – Barely five years after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) made history with the first seizure of the deadly terror-linked drug Captagon on African soil at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, the agency has again intercepted a consignment of the amphetamine substance – this time in Kwara state, confirming fears that traffickers are attempting to revive a dormant pipeline.
The latest bust, which took place on Tuesday 21st April 2026, unfolded along the Bode Saadu road in Kwara state when NDLEA operatives on routine patrol stopped a trailer carrying passengers. A thorough search of one passenger, 33-year-old Nasiru Mu’azu, yielded a startling haul: ten packs of Captagon containing 10,000 pills, alongside nine packets of Tapentadol 250mg.
Captagon, a tiny, highly addictive pill widely available across the Middle East, produces a euphoric intensity in users, allowing them to stay awake for days, rendering them virtually fearless, and predisposing them to reckless violence that endangers everyone around them. Its production and sale are controlled by militias and large criminal groups linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), serving both as a means of generating funds for weapons and combatants and as a stimulant to keep fighters battle-ready. On the black market, a single pill can command as much as $25.
A ‘Wake-Up Call’ from the NDLEA Chairman
Reacting to the seizure, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the tactical precision of his operatives, describing the bust as a major blow to drug syndicates attempting to revive a pipeline that has been largely dormant since the landmark Apapa seizure five years ago.
Marwa characterised the interception as a stark wake-up call, noting that Captagon’s ability to inhibit fear and fatigue makes it a weapon of choice for insurgent groups seeking to fuel insecurity.
“We are not just seizing pills; we are disrupting the fuel that powers violence in our communities,” Marwa stated emphatically. “Our operatives remain on high alert across all frontiers to ensure this illicit trade finds no foothold in Nigeria.”
Kwara: More Than Just Captagon
The Kwara command’s success did not end there. In a separate interdiction operation at the same Bode Saadu patrol point on Friday 24th April, NDLEA officers intercepted a trailer with registration number RMY-70XA. A meticulous search of the vehicle revealed a false compartment constructed underneath the trailer, concealing a substantial pharmaceutical consignment: 155,900 capsules of tramadol, 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection, 3,000 tablets of Co-Codamol, and 9,000 tablets of Bromazepam. A 24-year-old suspect, Aminu Isah, has been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.
The Cocaine Mule: A 1,043-Gram Journey to Europe
In Oyo state, a dramatic body-scan operation unfolded on Tuesday 21st April. NDLEA operatives intercepted a commercial bus with registration number MNA 963 ZY along the Ibadan/Oyo expressway. The bus was en route to Sokoto when a 33-year-old passenger identified as Eze Prince Emeka was singled out.
The suspect, who claimed to be a businessman operating in Sokoto, was brought down from the vehicle and taken for a body scan. The result confirmed the ingestion of illicit drugs. Placed under close excretion observation, Emeka proceeded to excrete a total of forty-five (45) pellets of cocaine with a combined weight of 1.043 kilograms – spread across three separate excretions.
Investigations revealed a sophisticated smuggling methodology. Emeka had chosen to travel by road to Sokoto specifically to evade detection at airports. Upon arrival in Sokoto, his plan was to excrete the pellets, rest for a few days, then re-ingest the substances to continue his journey along the trans-Saharan routes. His intended transit point was Algeria, with a possible final destination in Europe.
Edo, Lagos, Bauchi, and Ekiti: A Nationwide Dragnet
The past week’s enforcement actions painted a picture of a nationwide offensive:
· Edo State: On Saturday 25th April, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Benin/Lagos expressway intercepted a truck marked NLC 146 FC. Inside, they discovered a staggering 1,196,000 pills of pharmaceutical opioids destined for Onitsha in Anambra state. Two suspects – Osagie Igbinibo, 43, and Omijie Malik, 44 – were apprehended.
· Lagos State: At Mile 2 expressway on Saturday 25th April, a suspect named Rasheed Ibuowo, 40, was arrested while conveying 810 kilograms of Arizona, a potent strain of cannabis.
· Bauchi State: On Wednesday 22nd April, operatives nabbed 35-year-old Muktar Bello on Misau road in the Azare/Katagun Local Government Area. He was found with 288 blocks of skunk weighing 154.5 kilograms.
· Ekiti State: A total of 466.8 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the house of a 56-year-old suspect, Layit John Matthew, on Ilaro Street in Isinbode-Ekiti. Intelligence suggested he had planned to transport the narcotics to Yola in Adamawa state.
Cross River Forest Destruction: 20,000kg of Skunk Torched
In one of the most significant environmental and enforcement actions of the week, NDLEA officers, supported by soldiers, raided the Uyanga community in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State on Saturday 25th April. The operation targeted eight hectares of cannabis farmland, where a staggering 20,000 kilograms of skunk were systematically destroyed. Additionally, 170 kilograms of already processed cannabis were recovered from the site.
IED Components Seized in Niger State: A Terror Link?
In a development that will raise serious national security concerns, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Kontagora/Zuru road in Niger state on Wednesday 22nd April intercepted a 26-year-old suspect, Mohammed Aliyu. He was driving a red Toyota car with registration number KNT 617 AE, allegedly transporting a cache of 394 pieces of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) components to Shadadi in Mariga Local Government Area. The suspect and the exhibits are to be transferred to the relevant security agency for further investigation, highlighting the increasingly blurred lines between drug trafficking and insurgency.
Prevention Pillar: WADA Campaign Gains Momentum
Alongside the enforcement successes, the NDLEA continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities. The past week saw enlightenment lectures held at Mallam Salisu Islamic School in Paiko, Niger state; Madarasatul Abdulrahman Bin Auf Litahafizul Quran in Durusul Islamiyah Badawa, Nasarawa LGA, Kano; Sani Zango Daura Model Primary School in Zango, Katsina; and community development associations in Badagry LGA, Lagos.
In a notable advocacy push, the Zonal Commander of NDLEA Zone 4 Command, ACGN Bridget Viashiama, led senior officers on a WADA advocacy visit to Nasarawa state governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule.
Marwa ChargesOperatives to Maintain Tempo
While commending the officers and men of the Kwara, Oyo, Edo, Cross River, Bauchi, Ekiti, Niger and Lagos Commands for their arrests and seizures, General Marwa noted the critical balance they had struck between drug supply reduction efforts and WADA sensitisation activities. He charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the current operational tempo.
“Captagon will never find a foothold in Nigeria,” Marwa assured the nation. With the past week’s operations, his agency has sent an unequivocal message to drug syndicates: the pathways to illegal profits – and to terror – are being systematically closed.
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