The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Monday, publicly destroyed 329,865.585 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs with an estimated street value of ₦301 Billion in Lagos.
This was as the chairman of the anti-narcotic agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), vowed that NDLEA will continue to dismantle drug cartels and their financial spine.
The exercise, conducted pursuant to orders of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, disposed of uncontested concluded cases and abandoned seizures.
Destruction of ₦301 Billion Illicit Drugs in Lagos
As stated in a press release by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, of the total consignment, 246,864.535 kilograms were seized by the Lagos Strategic Command of the agency between April 2025 and May 2026.
83,001.05 kilograms came from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Tincan and Apapa Strategic Commands, as well as the Marine Command and a Special Operations Unit, all operating within Lagos.
The destroyed illicit drugs, it was stated comprised mainly cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis of different strains, including Canadian Loud and skunk, ephedrine, tramadol, codeine syrup and other opioids, as well as khat leaf.
Speaking at the event held at Navy Town in Ojo area of Lagos, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Marwa (rtd), described the exercise as a bold demonstration of Nigeria’s resolve to protect its people and deny criminal enterprises the resources they need to thrive.
He noted that behind every kilogram of narcotics destroyed there was a story of a young life at risk, a family torn apart by addiction, and communities endangered by drug-related crime and impaired driving.
Marwa said the destroyed consignment represented more than the elimination of contraband.
He said illicit drugs weakened the labour force, raised healthcare costs, discouraged investment and drained public resources that should go into education, healthcare and infrastructure.
He added that every consignment intercepted by the agency saved the country billions of naira in potential losses linked to addiction, crime and social dislocation.
The NDLEA boss also linked the trade in illicit drugs to Nigeria’s broader security challenges, noting that drug trafficking helps fund organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism globally.
According to him, by seizing and destroying such substances, the agency was strengthening the country’s national security architecture.
He commended the support of President Bola Tinubu, and his administration’s strategic backing for the NDLEA mandate.
He also appreciated the partnership of the Judiciary, Lagos State Government, military, sister security agencies, international partners, civil society, traditional institutions, media and members of the public.
Marwa paid tribute to NDLEA personnel across the country, particularly those serving in Lagos, while acknowledging the risks and sacrifices they made in the course of their duty.
He, however, issued a stern warning to drug barons, traffickers, financiers, distributors and dealers, declaring 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,” he said.
Marwa vowed that the agency remained resolute, relentless and uncompromising in pursuing and dismantling every criminal network and its financial spine.
He called on all Nigerians, parents, schools, religious and traditional leaders, and the media to become active stakeholders in the war against illicit drugs, stressing that the battle cannot be won by the NDLEA alone.
Speaking at the ceremony, Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said “the scale of what has been destroyed today, about 300 tons of narcotics and psychotropic substances, is a huge and sobering reminder of the enormity of the threat that illicit drugs pose to our communities, our young people, and our collective future.
“It is also, in equal measure, a powerful testament to what becomes possible when law enforcement, the judiciary, and the government work hand in hand, not merely to enforce the law, but to uphold justice, protect society, and secure a better future for our people.
“It reminds us that when institutions unite around a shared purpose, the law becomes more than an instrument of enforcement.”
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the governor assured that “Lagos State is unwavering in its resolve to confront drug abuse and trafficking, and we will not relent in our efforts to do this.”
In his goodwill message, Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi noted that the “NDLEA deserves all the accolades they have received from local and international partners.
“It is not just about the size of what we are seeing but about the scope of what has been taken from operations conducted in our seaports, at our airports, at our land borders.
“This therefore represents a very strong message to drug dealers that they are no longer welcome in Nigeria.”
He noted that there was a nexus between drug dealers and violent non-state actors because drug continues to provide the oxygen for their crime.
“Bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, insurgents, terrorists, this is their oxygen and so the destruction that we are going to witness today is symbolic of two things: drug dealers are going to be losing investments worth billions of naira.
“We are going to be denying non-state violent actors the necessary oxygen that they need for their heinous crime.
“As we hope that we suffocate them, deny them access to this kind of thing, we believe that this will continue to be their lot. They will continue to invest and they will continue to lose their investments.
“I want to commend the chairman of NDLEA and, in fact, all our officers and men operatives throughout our commands who are responsible for this,” he added.
Speaking in the same light, the Chief of Naval Staff Vice, Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by the FOC Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, assured of continued support for Nigeria’s drug control efforts being coordinated by NDLEA.
