The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker carrying 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis in a concealed compartment in Ondo State, while separately arresting a convicted cocaine trafficker accused of operating under the cover of a herbal tea business.
The NDLEA said in a statement issued on Sunday, September 6, 2026, that the tanker, marked MKA 960 XC, was intercepted along the Akoko-Lokoja Expressway on Friday, September 4, 2026, after its driver allegedly failed to stop when flagged down by operatives.
According to NDLEA Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, the driver later abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled into the bush.
Babafemi said NDLEA operatives subsequently searched the vehicle and discovered a false compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg. The tanker was also carrying legitimate fuel reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
The agency said the tanker had previously become notorious for evading interception, describing the seizure as a significant breakthrough in efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved and urged personnel nationwide to maintain the pressure on trafficking networks. Marwa said traffickers attempting to conceal illicit drugs behind legitimate businesses would continue to be targeted.
The NDLEA said the Ondo operation formed part of coordinated enforcement activities conducted across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states.
In Lagos, the NDLEA said its operatives recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, which the agency valued at more than ₦1.1 billion. According to Babafemi, the tablets were concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment imported from Pakistan.
The agency also reported the recovery of 57.80kg of Loud cannabis, which it valued at more than ₦173 million, from a shipment originating from Singapore.
At Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, the NDLEA said it intercepted 598.08kg of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies concealed inside a 40-foot container. The agency linked the seizure to three suspects previously arrested over another consignment containing 842.54kg of cannabis-laced cookies.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officials said they recovered 636kg of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Ondo State towards Jos.
Separately, the NDLEA said it arrested 34-year-old Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu during a sting operation at Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market in Ojo, Lagos, on September 4.
According to Babafemi, Ebubechukwu was first arrested by the agency in 2011 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after allegedly ingesting 900 grammes of cocaine and 130 grammes of heroin while attempting to travel to Austria.
Babafemi said he was prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to five years in prison but later changed his name and allegedly returned to drug trafficking.
The NDLEA said a search of his residence in Ejigbo, Lagos, led to the recovery of phone chargers similar to those allegedly used to conceal intercepted cocaine shipments.
The agency continues to urge members of the public to report suspected drug trafficking activities to the nearest NDLEA office.
