…arrests fake Police officer, mechanic-drug dealer
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted over 1.3 million pills of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 6,000 kilograms of potent strains of cannabis with a combined street value of more than N3.4 billion, in a string of major operational breakthroughs across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo, and the FCT.
Top on the lineup of successful operations was the interception of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 603.75 kilograms, valued at One Billion Eight Hundred and Eleven Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N1,811,250,000), and the arrest of a trafficker who impersonated a senior police officer to evade checkpoints while ferrying drugs across state lines.
The 49-year-old fake police officer, Innocent Ekpe, was arrested on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, by NDLEA operatives along the Benin-Onitsha expressway in Asaba, Delta State, with 292.48 kilograms of skunk hidden in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.
Investigation established that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged ID card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments.
An accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was arrested along with him.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence stormed a location on Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai, who used his auto-repair workshop as a front for storing illicit drugs. Officers recovered 48 kilograms of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine, along with a metal box used to store the illicit substances.
At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived on September 12, was placed under intensive monitoring by NDLEA operatives based on processed intelligence.
The shipment was eventually subjected to a full joint physical examination with Customs and other security agencies on Wednesday, September 16. The search uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75 kilograms, concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded within two Toyota Sienna vehicles in the container.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway at Chachi, Tafa LGA, on Tuesday, September 15, arrested three young suspects: Bashir Usman (20), Abubakar Nuhu (18), and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab (18), with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.
Two suspects, Aminu Isyaku (23) and Jamilu Habibu (25), were arrested on Friday, September 18, by NDLEA officers along the Abaji-Abuja highway. Over 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets/capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine, and Exol tablets concealed in eight sacks en route from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State, were recovered from them.
In Lagos, a suspect, Onyeka Ofor, was arrested on Friday, September 18, at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg, while seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were intercepted at a logistics company, with a suspect, Luke Ugokwe, taken into custody. In another operation in Lagos, Ibrahim Hudu (43) was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas on Thursday, September 17.
A total of 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar (27) and Hassana Muhammad (19), who were arrested at the Barunde area and Gombe main market, respectively, in Gombe State on Friday, September 18.
A suspect, Ifesinachi Godwin (25), was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha road, Imo State, with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday, September 18, while four suspects; Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday, and Ability Peter Sunday were nabbed during a raid and the destruction of 5,000 kilograms of skunk on a two-hectare cannabis farm in the Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo State, on Tuesday, September 15. No less than 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered from the location for the prosecution of the suspects.
With the same vigor, commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities over the past week. These included a WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo; Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra; Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos; and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba State.
Additionally, the Delta Ports Command of the NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Majesty, King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III, Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Delta State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Tincan, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo, and FCT commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to the Agency’s drug control efforts.