Agents from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have stopped shipments of cocaine intended for China and Italy. The illicit substances were hidden inside a traditional mortar and the base of a backpack, processed through a Lagos logistics firm on July 30, 2026. Specifically, 250 grammes were found in a mortar box bound for China, while 500 grammes were discovered within a backpack destined for Italy.
Law enforcement also conducted several successful operations across Nigeria. In Port Harcourt, Rivers State, officers apprehended 38-year-old Ugo Gift Okonkwo on July 26 with various narcotics including cannabis, cocaine, and tramadol. In Onitsha, Anambra State, a search of a truck on July 27 resulted in the recovery of 26,000 bottles of codeine syrup, leading to the arrest of 40-year-old driver Chinedu Nwanze.
Additional seizures occurred in Delta State, where 1.84 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from a vehicle on the Kwale-Ughelli Expressway, and in Nasarawa State, where 64-year-old Joseph Nwaeke was detained with skunk and methamphetamine. In Zamfara State, authorities stopped 27-year-old Sani Umar with 7,400 tramadol tablets suspected to be destined for criminal groups.
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative through educational outreach in various schools and community centers. Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), the NDLEA Chairman, praised the efforts of these commands and encouraged them to maintain their dual strategy of reducing both the supply of and demand for narcotics nationwide.
