By Lizzy Chirkpi
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker concealing 2,145kg of cannabis in a false compartment, as the agency intensified its crackdown on illicit drug trafficking across nine states.
The tanker, marked MKA 960 XC, was intercepted along the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State on Friday, September 4, 2026, after its driver allegedly refused to stop when pursued by NDLEA operatives.
The driver reportedly abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled into the bush. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg, concealed alongside its legitimate fuel cargo reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
According to the NDLEA, the tanker had allegedly evaded arrest in the past, raising concerns about the use of legitimate commercial vehicles to transport large consignments of illicit drugs across the country.
The agency said the interception was part of a coordinated nationwide operation that also led to the arrest of a convicted cocaine trafficker who allegedly disguised himself as a herbal tea merchant while masterminding cocaine shipments to Saudi Arabia.
The suspect, 34-year-old Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu, was arrested during a sting operation at Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market, in the Ojo area of Lagos, on September 4.
His arrest followed the interception of 1.2kg of cocaine concealed in phone chargers at a courier company in Lagos on July 31. The consignment was destined for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The NDLEA said its Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) tracked Ebubechukwu through intelligence-led operations after the consignment was intercepted.
According to the agency, the suspect admitted masterminding some illicit drug shipments in the past and disclosed that he discarded his telephone SIM card after learning that his latest consignment had been intercepted.
The NDLEA further disclosed that Ebubechukwu had previously been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in 2011 after ingesting 900 grammes of cocaine and 130 grammes of heroin in an attempt to travel to Austria.
He was subsequently prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to five years in prison but allegedly returned to drug trafficking after changing his name.
A search of his residence in Ejigbo, Lagos, also led to the recovery of phone chargers similar to those allegedly used to conceal the intercepted cocaine. Their internal components had reportedly been removed to create space for the drugs.
The nationwide operation, which covered Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states, resulted in the recovery of large quantities of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, codeine, rohypnol and other psychotropic substances.
At the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at more than ₦1.1 billion, concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment from Pakistan.
Another 57.8kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, valued at more than ₦173 million, was recovered from cartons of disposable hand gloves in a shipment from Singapore.
At Tincan Port, Lagos, the agency intercepted 598.08kg of cannabis-laced cookies and gummies concealed in a 40-foot container, barely a month after three suspects were arrested over the seizure of 842.54kg of similar products.
In Adamawa State, operatives recovered 864,000 pills of opioids, particularly tramadol, from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect, Patrick KC Frank.
Another suspect, 35-year-old Calistus Ebubechukwu, described by the agency as a major methamphetamine supplier from Lagos to the Mubi and Michika axis, was arrested with 2kg of methamphetamine.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives also recovered 2,386.9kg of cannabis, 350 grammes of cocaine, more than 100kg of assorted grades of tramadol, 9.7 litres of codeine syrup and 4kg of rohypnol at Gbaji.
Two other suspects, Damilare Francis and Emeh Emmanuel, were arrested at Agbara with 720kg of cannabis.
In Kogi State, three suspects — Saidu Mustapha, 35; Zaharadeen Salisu, 29; and AbdulSalam Abdullahi, 25 — were arrested with 636kg of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Owo, Ondo State, to Jos, Plateau State.
In Taraba State, 58-year-old Kelechi Unachukwu was arrested with more than 109kg of assorted controlled pharmaceutical substances, including tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin.
In Kaduna State, a truck loaded with cement was intercepted along the Zaria-Kano Expressway, leading to the recovery of 1,179kg of skunk.
In Ekiti State, two suspects were arrested after operatives uncovered and destroyed a four-hectare cannabis farm in the Efon-Alaaye forest. The operation also led to the recovery of 117kg of already harvested skunk.
In Enugu State, a 20-year-old suspect, Obinna David, was arrested at Ugbema Junction with 40,590 capsules of tramadol.
Commenting on the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended the officers and men involved for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach.
Marwa warned drug traffickers who attempt to hide behind new identities or legitimate businesses that the agency would continue to track them down.
“Traffickers who believe they can reinvent themselves under new identities or legitimate business fronts will continue to be tracked down,” Marwa said.
He also warned drug barons, traffickers, financiers, distributors and dealers that their days of operating with impunity were over.
“Wherever you hide, whoever sponsors you and however sophisticated your network may be, the long arm of the law will reach you,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA chairman said the agency remained determined to dismantle criminal networks and their financial structures. He also called on Nigerians, parents, schools, religious and traditional leaders, and the media to become active stakeholders in the fight against illicit drugs.
He stressed that “the battle cannot be won by the NDLEA alone.”
Marwa also linked illicit drug trafficking to Nigeria’s broader security challenges, noting that the trade helps fund organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism globally.
The NDLEA said its commands and formations would continue their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across the country.