By TheDailyNewsHub
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker allegedly used to conceal and transport 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis in Ondo State.
The seizure was part of a series of operations carried out by the agency across nine states, during which large quantities of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, codeine and other controlled substances were recovered.
Tanker abandoned after driver fled
According to NDLEA Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, the tanker, marked MKA 960 XC, was intercepted along the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State on Friday, September 4, 2026.
Babafemi said the driver allegedly refused to stop when NDLEA operatives flagged down the vehicle.
The driver reportedly abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko before fleeing into the bush.
Operatives subsequently searched the vehicle and discovered a concealed compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg.
The cannabis was reportedly hidden alongside the legitimate fuel cargo, which was destined for Jos, Plateau State.
The NDLEA said the tanker had allegedly evaded arrest during previous operations, describing its interception as a significant development in efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks.
Major seizures recorded across nine states
The tanker seizure was among several operations conducted by NDLEA personnel in Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states.
In Lagos, operatives recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment reportedly shipped from Pakistan.
The agency valued the seizure at more than ₦1.1 billion.
NDLEA operatives also recovered 57.80kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, from a shipment originating from Singapore. The substance was valued at more than ₦173 million, according to the agency.
At the Tincan Port in Lagos, officers intercepted 598.08kg, comprising 890 packets, of cannabis-laced cookies and gummies in a 40-foot container. The seizure was linked to an earlier interception involving 842.54kg of cannabis-infused cookies.
Opioids and methamphetamine recovered in Adamawa
In Adamawa State, NDLEA operatives recovered 864,000 opioid pills, particularly tramadol, from a residence linked to a suspect who reportedly fled.
A separate operation in Michika resulted in the seizure of 2kg of methamphetamine.
The agency also reported the recovery of 636kg of cannabis concealed in bags of chicken manure inside a bus travelling from Ondo State towards Jos.
The vehicle was intercepted along the Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi State.
More drugs seized in Kaduna, Ekiti and Taraba
In Kaduna State, NDLEA officers intercepted a truck carrying bags of cement along the Zaria-Kano Expressway and discovered 1,179kg of skunk concealed in the vehicle.
In Ekiti State, operatives destroyed a four-hectare cannabis farm located in the Efon-Alaaye forest and recovered 117kg of already harvested skunk.
Meanwhile, more than 109kg of assorted controlled substances were recovered in Taraba State from a vehicle travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State.
The substances reportedly included tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin.
In Enugu State, NDLEA officers recovered 40,590 capsules of tramadol during an interception at Ugbema Junction.
NDLEA vows to target trafficking networks
Babafemi said the seizures demonstrate the agency’s continued use of intelligence-led operations to disrupt drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit substances from reaching communities.
He said traffickers were increasingly adopting sophisticated methods to conceal and transport controlled substances, making intelligence gathering and coordinated enforcement operations critical to the agency’s efforts.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers involved in the operations.
Marwa urged them to sustain what he described as a balanced approach to drug control, while warning that traffickers attempting to evade detection through new identities, legitimate business fronts or sophisticated concealment methods would continue to be pursued.
The latest seizures highlight the increasingly elaborate methods allegedly being used by drug trafficking networks to move illicit substances across Nigeria, including hiding drugs inside legitimate commercial consignments and specially modified vehicles.