NDLEA Seizes 2.1 Tonnes of Cannabis Hidden in Fuel Tanker, Intercepts N1.1bn Tramadol Shipment
Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker specially modified with a hidden compartment used to transport 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis, in one of the agency’s largest intelligence-led seizures in recent months.
The tanker, bearing registration number MKA 960 XC, was intercepted along the Akoko-Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State after its driver allegedly refused to stop for routine checks on Friday.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the suspect abandoned the tanker inside a church premises at Ugbe Akoko before fleeing into nearby bushes.
A subsequent search uncovered a concealed compartment built inside the tanker, where officers recovered 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg, hidden alongside legitimate fuel cargo reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
According to the agency, the vehicle had repeatedly escaped arrest during previous operations, making the latest interception a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle organised drug trafficking networks.
The seizure formed part of coordinated anti-drug operations carried out across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, estimated to be worth more than ₦1.1 billion, concealed inside cartons of second-hand trousers imported from Pakistan.
Operatives also intercepted 57.8kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis valued at over ₦173 million, concealed in a shipment from Singapore.
At the Tincan Port, officers seized 598.08kg of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies concealed inside a 40-foot container, following an earlier interception involving 842.54kg of similar products.
In Adamawa State, operatives recovered 864,000 opioid tablets, mainly tramadol, from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect, while another operation in Michika led to the seizure of 2kg of methamphetamine.
Additional operations resulted in the recovery of 636kg of cannabis concealed inside chicken manure aboard a commercial bus travelling from Ondo to Jos along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.
In Taraba State, NDLEA recovered more than 109kg of assorted controlled drugs, including tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin, from a vehicle travelling from Onitsha to Yola.
Officers in Kaduna intercepted a cement truck conveying 1,179kg of skunk, while operatives in Ekiti destroyed a four-hectare cannabis plantation and recovered 117kg of harvested cannabis.
In Enugu State, another operation led to the seizure of 40,590 tramadol capsules during an interception at Ugbema Junction.
Babafemi said the nationwide operations reflect the agency’s sustained intelligence-driven strategy to dismantle drug trafficking syndicates and prevent illicit substances from reaching Nigerian communities.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction.
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