Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of the notorious stimulant drug, Captagon, in Kwara State, alongside a series of major drug seizures and arrests across the country.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement that the latest interception occurred on April 21, 2026, along Bode Saadu road, where operatives on patrol stopped a passenger vehicle.
A suspect, identified as 33-year-old Nasiru Mu’azu, was found in possession of 10,000 pills of Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine commonly associated with criminal and insurgent networks. Nine packets of Tapentadol 250mg were also recovered from him.
NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the seizure as a significant blow to drug syndicates attempting to re-establish trafficking routes for the substance, which has been linked to violent groups in the Middle East. He assured that the drug would not gain a foothold in Nigeria.
In a separate operation at the same location, operatives intercepted a trailer loaded with 155,900 capsules of tramadol, 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection, 3,000 tablets of co-codamol, and 9,000 tablets of bromazepam concealed in a hidden compartment. A 24-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure.
Meanwhile, in Oyo State, NDLEA officers arrested a businessman who ingested illicit drugs while travelling by road. The suspect later excreted 45 wraps of cocaine weighing over one kilogram after being placed under observation. Investigations revealed he intended to traffic the drugs through trans-Saharan routes to Europe.
Further seizures were recorded in Edo State, where operatives intercepted a truck carrying over 1.1 million pills of pharmaceutical opioids along the Benin-Lagos expressway. Two suspects were apprehended.
In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives, supported by security forces, destroyed about 20,000 kilograms of cannabis cultivated on eight hectares of farmland in Akamkpa Local Government Area, while additional quantities were recovered during the raid.
Other operations across Bauchi State, Ekiti State, Niger State, and Lagos State led to multiple arrests and seizures, including 810 kilograms of cannabis, 466.8 kilograms of skunk, and 394 improvised explosive device (IED) components intercepted in Niger State.
The agency noted that the suspect linked to the IED materials would be transferred to the appropriate security authorities for further investigation.
NDLEA said the operations are part of its sustained War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, combining enforcement with nationwide sensitization efforts in schools, communities, and institutions.
Marwa commended officers across affected states for maintaining operational momentum, stressing that the agency remains committed to dismantling drug networks and preventing substances like Captagon from fueling insecurity in Nigeria.
