The seizures were recorded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and in several other states, with the agency also arresting a suspected international drug trafficker.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on August 22, 2026, intercepted 47,200 Captagon pills concealed inside locally made bathing soap popularly known as “Ghana Soap.”
The drugs were allegedly brought into the country by a 49-year-old man who arrived from Accra, Ghana, on an African World Airlines flight.
According to the agency, the Captagon consignment was worth more than ₦1.5 billion. The suspect reportedly told investigators that the drugs were destined for northern Nigeria.
Captagon, an amphetamine-based stimulant, has been associated with armed groups and illicit activities in conflict zones. The NDLEA said it first seized the drug in Nigeria in September 2021 at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, officers recovered 3,900,030 tablets of Tramaking 225mg and Tapentadol 250mg, weighing approximately 2,787.40 kilogrammes and estimated to be worth more than ₦4.6 billion.
The drugs were found in four abandoned consignments at the airport’s import shed after no individual came forward to claim them.
Three of the consignments contained about 900,000 Tramaking tablets, weighing 815.40kg, and had arrived from Bangladesh aboard RwandAir flights. The fourth shipment contained 3,000,030 Tapentadol tablets, weighing 1,972kg, and was transported from Amsterdam by Qatar Airways.
The NDLEA said the consignments were kept under surveillance before being recovered following a joint examination involving the agency, the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, operatives arrested a 31-year-old United States returnee in the Ikate area of Lekki, Lagos, on August 19. He was allegedly apprehended while attempting to collect 3.350kg of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis reportedly imported from the United Kingdom.
In Rivers State, NDLEA personnel conducted a raid in the Abuja Down/Up area of Port Harcourt, described by the agency as a drug hotspot.
During the operation, officers discovered a fireproof iron safe containing various illicit substances. The safe was reportedly opened with a welding machine, resulting in the recovery of 237 grammes of Colorado cannabis, 316 grammes of cocaine and 10 grammes of heroin.
In Ondo State, three suspects were arrested along the Ipele-Idoani Road after NDLEA officers allegedly discovered 728kg of skunk concealed inside their truck.
Two additional suspects were apprehended at Aponmu Forest, where another 341kg of skunk was recovered.
Delta State also recorded major seizures, with NDLEA operatives recovering more than 176,000 tablets of assorted opioids, including tramadol and Molly, during separate operations conducted between August 26 and 28.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said it has sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, taking drug-prevention and awareness programmes to schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities across the country.
