The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 329,865.585 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs, valued at an estimated ₦301,058,076,000, in a court-ordered exercise in Lagos.
The exercise, held Monday at Navy Town in the Ojo area of Lagos, followed orders of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, covering uncontested concluded cases and abandoned seizures.
Of the total consignment, 246,864.535 kilogrammes were seized by the agency’s Lagos Strategic Command between April 2025 and May 2026, while 83,001.05 kilogrammes came from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Tin Can and Apapa Strategic Commands, the Marine Command and a Special Operations Unit.
The destroyed drugs comprised mainly cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis strains including Canadian Loud and skunk, ephedrine, tramadol, codeine syrup and other opioids, as well as khat leaf.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the exercise as a bold demonstration of Nigeria’s resolve to protect its people and deny criminal enterprises the resources they need to thrive.
“Wherever you hide, whoever sponsors you and however sophisticated your network may be, the long arm of the law will reach you,” Marwa warned drug barons, traffickers, financiers and dealers.
Marwa Links Drug Trade To Terrorism Financing, Thanks Partners
Marwa said illicit drugs weaken the labour force, raise healthcare costs, discourage investment and drain public resources that could otherwise fund education, healthcare and infrastructure, adding that every consignment intercepted saves the country billions of naira in potential losses linked to addiction and crime.
He also linked the drug trade to Nigeria’s broader security challenges, saying trafficking helps fund organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism globally, and that destroying such consignments strengthens the country’s national security architecture.
The NDLEA boss commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the judiciary, the Lagos State government and sister security agencies for their support, and paid tribute to NDLEA personnel for the risks they take in the line of duty.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Secretary to the State Government Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, described the scale of the destruction as “a huge and sobering reminder of the enormity of the threat that illicit drugs pose to our communities.”
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the exercise sent “a very strong message to drug dealers that they are no longer welcome in Nigeria,” noting the close links between drug trafficking and violent non-state actors such as bandits, kidnappers and insurgents.
Sowore Slams Destruction, Calls For Cannabis Legalisation
Activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore criticised the destruction on social media, arguing that burning cannabis wastes a potentially lucrative economic opportunity for Nigeria.
“It is idiotic NDLEA to wake up, put on uniforms, march into farms, and set economically viable crops worth millions of dollars ablaze while your country is drowning in multidimensional poverty. Legalize and properly regulate cannabis. Invest in research, harness its legitimate medicinal and industrial potential, create jobs, generate revenue, and build an industry Nigerians can benefit from,” Sowore wrote.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, pledged continued naval support for the agency’s anti-drug operations.
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