(NDLEA Destroys Drugs. Photo by Channels Tv)
The National D₹ug Law Enforcement Agency has destroyed more than 329,865 kilograms of illicit substances valued at ₦301 billion in a court-authorised operation held Monday at Navy Town in Ojo, Lagos.
The incineration processed uncontested cases and abandoned seizures accumulated through enforcement operations.
The destroyed consignment encompassed a substantial variety of controlled substances, among them cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ephedrine, khat leaf, and pharmaceutical opioids including tr@madol and codeine syrup, alongside multiple cannabis strains including “Canadian Loud” and skunk varieties.
The destroyed narcotics resulted from intensive enforcement campaigns across Lagos spanning April 2025 through May 2026.
The Lagos Strategic Command contributed 246,864.535 kilograms to the destruction, with an additional 83,001.05 kilograms intercepted by specialised units, including those operating at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Tincan and Apapa Strategic Commands, the Marine Command, and a Special Operations Unit.
At the incineration site, the NDLEA Chairman characterised the destruction as a forceful statement of Nigeria’s determination to defend its population and dismantle criminal networks.
He cautioned that those engaged in trafficking and their financial backers would ultimately face law enforcement, regardless of their methods or network sophistication.
He further outlined the broader implications of the seizures, noting that beyond preventing community addiction and traffic incidents, intercepted shipments redirect billions in healthcare expenditures, preserve workforce capacity, and strengthen national security by eliminating financial pipelines to violent extremism and organised criminal activity.
Attending officials emphasised the collaborative efforts between the NDLEA and other government agencies.
The Lagos State Governor, represented at the ceremony, described the 300-ton destruction as a stark illustration of the scale of the threat posed by the illicit d₹ug trade and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to combating substance abuse alongside federal partners.
The Comptroller General of Customs stressed that the multibillion-naira d₹ug economy directly finances violent non-state actors across the country, noting that b@ndits, kidn@ppers, @rmed robbers, insurgents and t£rrorists depend on such revenue streams.
He characterised the destruction as symbolic of both the financial losses inflicted on trafficking networks and the severing of resources required by violent actors to sustain their operations.
The Chief of Naval Staff, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, pledged continued military support for the NDLEA’s ongoing national counter-d₹ug operations.
