Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker loaded with 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis concealed in a specially constructed compartment.News
The tanker, with registration number MKA 960 XC, was intercepted on Friday, September 4, 2026, along the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State after its driver allegedly refused to stop when flagged down by NDLEA officers.Time & Calendars
According to the NDLEA Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday, the driver abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled into the bush.
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a concealed compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg, hidden alongside the legitimate fuel cargo reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
The agency said the tanker had previously evaded arrest during its operations, describing the seizure as a major breakthrough in efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
The interception was part of coordinated NDLEA operations carried out across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states, during which large quantities of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, codeine and other controlled substances were recovered.
In Lagos, operatives seized 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at over N1.1 billion, concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment from Pakistan.
Another 57.80kg of Loud, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis valued at more than N173 million, was recovered from a shipment from Singapore.
The agency also intercepted 598.08kg of cannabis-laced cookies and gummies in a 40-foot container at the Tincan Port, Lagos, linked to an earlier seizure of 842.54kg of cannabis-infused cookies.
In Adamawa, 864,000 opioid pills, mainly tramadol, were recovered from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect, while 2kg of methamphetamine was seized in Michika.
Other major seizures included 636kg of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Ondo State to Jos through the Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi State.
In Taraba State, more than 109kg of assorted controlled substances, including tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin, were recovered from a vehicle travelling from Onitsha to Yola.
In Kaduna, NDLEA officers intercepted a truck carrying bags of cement along the Zaria-Kano Expressway and recovered 1,179kg of skunk, while in Ekiti State, a four-hectare cannabis farm was destroyed in Efon-Alaaye forest, with 117kg of harvested cannabis recovered.
The operations also extended to Enugu State, where 40,590 capsules of tramadol were seized at Ugbema Junction.
Babafemi said the seizures reflected the agency’s sustained intelligence-led efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit substances from reaching the public.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain efforts against traffickers using sophisticated methods to conceal and transport illicit drugs.
