The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide offensive against the illicit drug trade, seizing more than 3.5 tonnes of cannabis and arresting several suspected traffickers and dealers in a string of coordinated operations across Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Abia and Lagos states.
The agency said the operations, conducted between August 3 and August 8, 2026, also exposed an emerging dimension of the drug trade with the interception of hundreds of packets of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies allegedly imported through the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The latest seizures, announced by the NDLEA on Sunday, underscore the scale and sophistication of cannabis trafficking networks operating across different parts of the country, with traffickers deploying trucks, forest hideouts, warehouses, drug hubs and international cargo channels to move and distribute illicit substances.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the operations in a statement detailing a series of raids, interceptions and arrests carried out by NDLEA operatives in collaboration with other security agencies.
One of the biggest seizures was recorded in Ondo State, where operatives intercepted a truck allegedly transporting a massive consignment of cannabis to northern Nigeria.
According to the NDLEA, officers on patrol along the Akure-Ilesha Expressway on Tuesday, August 4, stopped the truck and discovered 1,633 kilograms of skunk concealed inside bags of rice chaff.
Two men identified as 40-year-old Buba Jamilu and 30-year-old Sanusi Ibrahim were arrested in connection with the consignment.
The agency said the discovery was followed by another operation in Ita Ogbolu forest in Ondo State, where its operatives recovered an additional 147 kilograms of skunk from a suspected drug hideout.
The combined seizures in the state brought the quantity of cannabis recovered in the two operations to 1,780 kilograms.
In Oyo State, the agency struck another major blow after acting on intelligence to raid a suspected drug warehouse at Elebure village in Orire Local Government Area.
The operation, conducted on Monday, August 3, resulted in the recovery of 731.03 kilograms of skunk.
A 57-year-old woman, Felicia Thompson, was arrested during the raid, while another suspect identified as Thompson Vincent Nwaka allegedly escaped and is currently being pursued by the agency.
The NDLEA said the operation was part of its efforts to dismantle storage facilities allegedly being used to supply illicit drugs to different parts of the country.
Edo State also recorded a significant seizure after NDLEA operatives, backed by military personnel, stormed a suspected cannabis trafficking location at Ewe Luleha in Owan West Local Government Area on Wednesday, August 5.
The operation yielded 65 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 604.5 kilograms.
In Abia State, operatives raided a suspected drug den at Samec by Powerline in Osisioma Local Government Area on Thursday, August 6.
The operation led to the arrest of 31-year-old Chibuike Charles and the recovery of seven kilograms of skunk.
The agency’s operations extended to Lagos, where a three-month manhunt for a wanted suspect finally ended at the Fibre Market drug hub in Badagry.
The suspect, identified as Adome Claude Sikuru, was arrested on Saturday, August 8, with 88.5 kilograms of skunk allegedly recovered from him.
But perhaps the most striking discovery came from the Tin Can Port Complex, where the NDLEA, working alongside the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted a shipment containing cannabis-infused edible products.
During a joint examination of a 40-foot container on Tuesday, August 4, operatives discovered 73 cartons containing 442 packets of cookies and gummies infused with cannabis.
The products reportedly weighed a combined 309.4 kilograms.
A suspect identified as Larry Nnaji was arrested in connection with the alleged importation.
The seizure has further raised concerns over the changing methods being employed by drug traffickers, as cannabis is increasingly being concealed not only in conventional consignments but also in processed and packaged products capable of reaching unsuspecting consumers.
The NDLEA said the series of operations demonstrated its continued determination to disrupt the cultivation, trafficking, storage, importation and distribution of illicit drugs across Nigeria.
From a truck loaded with cannabis and allegedly disguised with rice chaff, to forest hideouts, warehouses, drug hubs and a container carrying cannabis-infused confectionery, the operations revealed the increasingly elaborate methods being used by suspected members of the illicit drug trade.
The agency said investigations into the various seizures and arrests are ongoing, while efforts are continuing to apprehend suspects who remain at large.