NDLEA Destroys ₦301 Billion Drugs In Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 329,865.585 kilograms of illegal drugs worth about ₦301.06 billion in Lagos following orders from the Federal High Court.

Naija News reports that the destruction took place on Monday, August 17, 2026, at Navy Town in the Ojo area of Lagos.

The exercise covered illicit drugs linked to concluded court cases and abandoned seizures that had been cleared for disposal.

The NDLEA said 246,864.535 kilograms of the drugs were recovered by its Lagos Strategic Command between April 2025 and May 2026.

Another 83,001.05 kilograms came from seizures made by the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Tincan and Apapa Strategic Commands, the Marine Command and a Special Operations Unit.

The substances destroyed included cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and different forms of cannabis, including Canadian Loud and skunk.

The consignment also contained ephedrine, tramadol, codeine-based syrup, other opioids and khat leaves.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the destruction showed the agency’s continued effort to prevent illegal drugs from reaching communities and to cut off the money that supports drug trafficking.

He said the large volume of drugs recovered represented thousands of potential cases of drug abuse and related crimes that could have affected young people, families and communities.

According to him, illegal drugs also create wider problems by increasing pressure on the health system, weakening the workforce and placing extra demands on public resources.

Marwa also linked the illegal drug trade to wider security problems, saying proceeds from drug trafficking can be used to support organised crime, terrorism and other violent activities.

He said removing large quantities of drugs from circulation was therefore part of the wider effort to improve national security.

The NDLEA chairman credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for its support of the agency and also praised the Judiciary, Lagos State Government, military, other security agencies, international partners, civil society groups, traditional institutions, the media and members of the public for their cooperation.

He also commended NDLEA officers working across the country, especially those involved in operations in Lagos, for the risks they face while carrying out their duties.

Marwa warned drug traffickers, financiers, distributors and dealers that the agency would continue to pursue their operations and target the financial resources behind them.

He said the NDLEA would work to break up criminal networks regardless of how they were organised or where their operations were based.

He further called for greater involvement from parents, schools, religious bodies, traditional leaders and the media in efforts to reduce drug abuse, noting that the problem required cooperation beyond the NDLEA.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also backed the agency’s work against drug trafficking.

The governor, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said the amount of drugs destroyed showed the scale of the challenge facing communities and young people.

Sanwo-Olu said the state government would continue to work with law enforcement agencies and other institutions to tackle drug abuse and trafficking across Lagos.

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, praised the NDLEA for its work and pointed to the wide range of locations where the seized drugs had been intercepted, including seaports, airports and land borders.

Adeniyi said drug trafficking was closely connected to other forms of violent crime because criminal groups could depend on proceeds from the illegal trade to finance their activities.

He said seizures and destruction of such drugs would deny traffickers and violent groups access to large sums of money.

He also commended NDLEA officers and other security personnel involved in intercepting the drugs and disrupting trafficking operations.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, assured the NDLEA of the Nigerian Navy’s continued cooperation in the fight against illegal drugs.