Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker carrying 2,145 kilograms of cannabis concealed in a specially constructed compartment.
The tanker, marked 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 operatives.
According to the agency’s Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, the driver later abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled into the bush.
Babafemi disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, adding that a subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a false compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg.
The illicit consignment was reportedly hidden alongside the legitimate fuel cargo destined for Jos, Plateau State.
The NDLEA said the tanker had previously become notorious for evading arrest during drug enforcement operations, describing its interception as a major breakthrough in efforts to dismantle trafficking networks.
The seizure was part of coordinated operations conducted by the agency across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states, leading to the recovery of large quantities of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, codeine and other controlled substances.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives seized 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at more than N1.1 billion, concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment from Pakistan.
The agency also recovered 57.8kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis valued at more than N173 million, from a shipment originating from Singapore.
At the Tincan Port in Lagos, operatives intercepted 598.08kg of cannabis-laced cookies and gummies, comprising 890 packets, concealed in a 40-foot container.
The seizure was linked to an earlier interception involving 842.54kg of cannabis-infused cookies, the agency said.
In Adamawa State, NDLEA officers recovered 864,000 opioid pills, particularly tramadol, from a residence linked to a suspect who fled before their arrival. Another operation in Michika led to the seizure of 2kg of methamphetamine.
In Kogi State, operatives intercepted a bus travelling from Ondo State to Jos along the Okene/Lokoja Highway and recovered 636kg of cannabis concealed in bags of chicken manure.
Similarly, more than 109kg of assorted controlled substances, including tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin, were recovered from a vehicle travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State, in Taraba State.
In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck carrying bags of cement along the Zaria-Kano Expressway and recovered 1,179kg of skunk.
In Ekiti State, the agency destroyed a four-hectare cannabis farm in Efon-Alaaye Forest and recovered 117kg of already harvested skunk.
The operations also extended to Enugu State, where 40,590 capsules of tramadol were recovered during an interception at Ugbema Junction.
Babafemi said the seizures reflected the agency’s sustained intelligence-led approach to disrupting drug trafficking networks and preventing illicit substances from reaching the public.
He added that traffickers were increasingly adopting sophisticated methods to conceal and transport drugs, but said the agency remained committed to tracking them down.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
Marwa warned that traffickers attempting to evade detection through new identities, legitimate business fronts or sophisticated concealment methods would continue to be targeted by the agency.
