NDLEA seizes 5,781kg of drugs, arrests 985 suspects
By Muyideen Aliyu
The Kwara State Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Hajia Fatima Popoola, has disclosed that the command seized 5,781.402 kg of illicit substances and arrested 985 suspected drug offenders between June 2025 and June 26, 2026.
Out of these, 68 offenders were convicted by the Federal High Court in Ilorin.
Popoola made this known in Ilorin on Wednesday during the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
She noted that Kwara’s position as a gateway between Northern and Southern Nigeria makes it a major transit hub, with the Ogbomosho–Jebba Highway accounting for the majority of high-profile arrests.
She highlighted the recent interception of 600 blocks of cannabis, weighing 304 kg, which were concealed in a brand-new V8 Jeep bearing a Federal Government registration plate at Jebba, in the Moro Local Government Area of the state.
According to her, “Cannabis, including synthetic variants such as ‘Loud’ and ‘Colorado,’ remains the most seized drug, alongside tramadol, skunk, Molly, cough syrups, amphetamine-type stimulants, Rohypnol, Captagon, and Tapentadol.”
The State Commandant described last May’s Captagon seizure along the Ogbomosho–Jebba route as a high-profile breakthrough with suspected links to terrorist activity.
She added that the command has flagged the growing use of technology by traffickers, noting that the NDLEA arrested several university students in the state last year for baking cannabis-infused cakes and marketing them online.
On rehabilitation, Popoola stated that 29 drug-dependent persons were admitted into the NDLEA’s facility, with 28 successfully discharged after treatment. Another 213 users received brief interventions, while 10,000 students and 2,000 newly recruited teachers were tested under Kwara’s institutional drug-testing policy.
Popoola lamented the command’s inadequate supply of operational vehicles and motorcycles, and appealed to the state government for logistical support to destroy over 5 tonnes of seized drugs currently in custody.
Also speaking, the Chairperson of the Kwara State Drug Control Committee, Pharmacist Barakat Olarewaju (represented by Alhaji Wahab Ajibola), commended the State Commandant for her leadership and unwavering commitment to anti-drug campaigns.
Olarewaju noted that the committee has been carrying out sustained sensitization campaigns in schools and communities to support the NDLEA’s mandate.
“Between July 2025 and June 2026, we sensitized 55 secondary schools across the three senatorial districts and 28 communities. We have been collaborating with the NDLEA for a while now, and they are doing a wonderful job,” she said.