Michael Olugbode in Abuja
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it had formally taken custody of 6,778.5 kilogrammes (about 6.8 tonnes) of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, intercepted at the Apapa Port in Lagos in what authorities described as one of Nigeria’s biggest anti-narcotics seizures in recent years.
The seizure, made during joint examinations of two shipping containers by operatives of NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other security agencies, is being hailed as a major breakthrough in the fight against transnational drug trafficking and a testament to growing inter-agency and international intelligence cooperation.
Speaking during the formal handover ceremony at Apapa Port on Wednesday, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the operation sent a strong warning to international drug cartels that Nigeria was closing its borders to illicit narcotics.
Marwa declared, “Through two major seizures recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026, we send a clear and unequivocal message that we are more determined than ever to dismantle organised criminal syndicates and drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond our borders.”
The seizure followed months of intelligence-driven investigations led by NDLEA’s Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit, working closely with Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Nigeria Customs Service.
Marwa said the traffickers employed sophisticated maritime routes spanning multiple continents in an attempt to evade law enforcement, but NDLEA operatives successfully tracked the consignments from Canada to Nigeria.
He explained that the first container, CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto on April 16, 2026, travelled by rail to Montreal before being loaded onto the vessel Ghallow Express.
It was later trans-shipped at Tangier Med, Morocco, onto Spartel Trader, arriving at Tin Can Island Port before being moved through the Global Bonded Terminal and eventually to Apapa Port, where it was intercepted on June 10 during a joint examination.
The second container, HAMU 3246311, departed Montreal on May 1 aboard Africa Express, was later trans-shipped onto Algeciras Express, arrived at Tin Can Island Port on June 4, and was transferred to Apapa Port on June 22, where NDLEA officers were waiting.
Marwa stressed that the agency’s strategy went beyond intercepting illicit consignments, warning that investigators would pursue the financiers and beneficiaries behind the trafficking networks.
He stated, “We recognise that the staggering profits generated by illicit drug trafficking continue to fuel crimes against humanity and against our nation despite the devastating toll they take on individuals, families and communities.
“Our work does not end with seizure. We are committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible, confiscating their criminal assets, and ensuring they derive no benefit whatsoever from their illegal enterprise.”
The NDLEA boss also commended the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for what he described as exemplary professionalism and collaboration.
He stated, “I commend, in the strongest terms, the dedication, professionalism and courage of the officers and men of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and all sister security agencies who refused to look away and allow these dangerous substances to flood our communities.
“This success was made possible by intelligence-sharing and operational synergy among all participating agencies. It is a powerful demonstration of what inter-agency collaboration, international cooperation and intelligence-driven operations can achieve in the fight against transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.”
The latest seizure represents another significant milestone in NDLEA’s intensified campaign against drug trafficking under Marwa’s leadership, as the agency continues to strengthen partnerships with international law enforcement organisations and deploy intelligence-led operations to intercept illicit drugs before they enter Nigerian communities.
