[REVISION HISTORY]

West Africa drug crackdown intensifies, massive seizures

Updated 17 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-06 13:19 UTC → 2026-09-10 12:47 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In mid-to-late August 2026, enforcement in Nigeria reached new heights with massive seizures and high-profile arrests. The NDLEA conducted a major destruction exercise in Lagos, destroying over 329,865kg of drugs—including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine—valued at approximately ₦301 billion. During this period, the agency also arrested businessman Nwankwo Onyebuchi at Murtala Muhammed International Airport for attempting to smuggle 1.55kg of cocaine to India, and recovered 377,600 bottles of codeine syrup in Okota. On August 18, the NDLEA intercepted 184.5kg of cocaine worth roughly ₦39 billion, described by Chairman Buba Marwa as one of the agency’s “most significant recent investigations.” By late August, maritime and retail operations continued, including the seizure of 1.49 tonnes of ‘Loud’ synthetic cannabis and the arrest of a 101-year-old woman for cannabis sales in Ogun State. At the end of August, the NDLEA dismantled a major operation at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, seizing illicit substances valued at over ₦6.2 billion. This included 47,200 captagon tablets—referred to as ‘Jihadi drug’—concealed in soap blocks imported from Ghana, leading to the arrest of Akinbile Kazeem Aikins. Authorities also recovered 2,787.40kg of Tramaking and Tapentadol tablets from abandoned consignments originating from Bangladesh and Amsterdam, valued at over ₦4.6 billion. In early September, Chairman Marwa signaled a strategic shift, directing investigators to target the financial assets of drug cartels. He emphasized that the agency must dismantle the economic foundations of trafficking by tracing cryptocurrencies and complex corporate structures to transform narcotics trafficking into a “high-risk, low-profit enterprise.” Recent operations have bolstered this strategy. In Lagos, the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted cannabis, methamphetamine, and tramadol valued at approximately ₦3.95 billion. In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 68 suspected traffickers and seized over 7,531kg of narcotics during August 2026. By early September, the NDLEA conducted coordinated operations across nine states. In Lagos, authorities arrested Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu, a convicted trafficker who allegedly used a herbal tea business as a front to smuggle 1.2kg of cocaine concealed in phone chargers.

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