By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 329,865.585 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs valued at about N301.06 billion in Lagos, in a major court-ordered operation aimed at disposing of seized and abandoned narcotics.
The public destruction exercise, conducted on Monday at Navy Town, Ojo, followed orders of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, and involved drugs from concluded uncontested cases as well as abandoned seizures.
Of the total quantity destroyed, 246,864.535 kilogrammes were seized by the NDLEA Lagos Strategic Command between April 2025 and May 2026. Another 83,001.05 kilogrammes were recovered by the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Tincan and Apapa Strategic Commands, the Marine Command and a Special Operations Unit operating in Lagos.
The destroyed consignments comprised cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and various forms of cannabis, including Canadian Loud and skunk. Other substances included ephedrine, tramadol, codeine syrup, other opioids and khat leaves.
Speaking at the event, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), described the destruction as a demonstration of the country’s determination to protect its citizens and deprive criminal organisations of resources needed to sustain illicit activities.
Marwa said the significance of the exercise extended beyond the physical destruction of narcotics, arguing that every kilogramme removed from circulation represented lives potentially protected from addiction, families spared its consequences and communities shielded from drug-related crime.
He also linked illicit drug trafficking to broader economic and security challenges, saying the trade weakens the workforce, increases healthcare costs, discourages investment and diverts resources that could otherwise support education, healthcare and infrastructure.
According to him, drug trafficking also contributes to organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism by providing financial resources to criminal networks.
Marwa commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the agency’s mandate and acknowledged the role of the judiciary, Lagos State Government, military, other security agencies, international partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, the media and members of the public in the fight against illicit drugs.
He also praised NDLEA personnel, particularly those operating in Lagos, for the risks and sacrifices involved in intercepting narcotics and disrupting trafficking networks.
Issuing a warning to drug barons, traffickers, financiers, distributors and dealers, Marwa said the agency would intensify efforts to dismantle their operations and financing structures.
“Wherever you hide, whoever sponsors you and however sophisticated your network may be, the long arm of the law will reach you,” he said, vowing that the NDLEA would remain committed to dismantling criminal networks and their financial base.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, described the volume of drugs destroyed as a sobering indication of the scale of the threat posed by illicit drugs to young people and communities.
Sanwo-Olu said the exercise also demonstrated the impact of cooperation among law-enforcement agencies, the judiciary and government institutions, assuring that Lagos would remain committed to combating drug abuse and trafficking.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, also commended the NDLEA, noting that the seizures reflected operations across seaports, airports and land borders.
Adeniyi said the destruction sent a strong message to drug traffickers that Nigeria was becoming increasingly difficult terrain for their activities.
He further highlighted the connection between drug trafficking and violent non-state actors, including bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, insurgents and terrorists, saying proceeds from the drug trade could finance criminal activities.
He described the destruction of the narcotics as symbolic of efforts to deny violent groups the financial resources needed to sustain their operations.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, reaffirmed the Navy’s continued support for the NDLEA’s drug-control operations.
