The (NDLEA) on Sunday announced the interception of a consignment of Captagon, an amphetamine-based drug, in Kwara State, alongside a series of major drug seizures and arrests across the country.
Captagon, a highly addictive stimulant commonly abused in the Middle East, is known for inducing prolonged wakefulness, euphoria, and reduced fear. Authorities have also linked the substance to criminal networks and insurgent activities.
According to a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, , the interception in Kwara followed an earlier bust at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
The statement revealed that NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu Road on April 21, 2026, intercepted a passenger, Nasiru Mu’azu, 33, travelling in a trailer. A search led to the recovery of 10 packs of Captagon comprising 10,000 pills, as well as nine packets of Tapentadol 250mg.
In a separate operation at the same location on April 24, operatives intercepted another trailer and uncovered 155,900 capsules of tramadol, 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection, 3,000 tablets of co-codamol, and 9,000 tablets of bromazepam concealed in a false compartment. A suspect, Aminu Isah, 24, was arrested.
In Oyo State, NDLEA officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Ibadan/Oyo Expressway on April 21. A passenger, Eze Prince Emeka, 33, tested positive for ingesting illicit drugs. He later excreted 45 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.043 kilograms over three sessions.
Investigations revealed that the suspect intended to transport the drugs to Europe through trans-Saharan routes, using Algeria as a transit point after initial delivery in Sokoto.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, operatives on April 25 intercepted a truck along the Benin/Lagos expressway carrying 1,196,000 pills of pharmaceutical opioids. Two suspects, Osagie Igbinibo, 43, and Omijie Malik, 44, were arrested, with the consignment reportedly destined for Onitsha in Anambra State.
Other operations nationwide also recorded significant seizures. In Lagos, Rasheed Ibuowo, 40, was apprehended with 810 kilograms of cannabis, while in Bauchi State, Muktar Bello, 35, was arrested with 288 blocks of skunk weighing 154.5kg.
In Ekiti State, 466.8kg of skunk was recovered from a residence, while operatives destroyed 20,000kg of cannabis cultivated on farmland in Cross River State.
In Niger State, 394 components suspected to be for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered from a suspect, Mohammed Aliyu, 26, who has since been handed over to relevant security agencies.
Chairman of the NDLEA, , commended officers involved in the operations, describing the Captagon seizure as a major disruption of drug trafficking networks.
He warned that Captagon remains a high-risk drug due to its association with violence and insecurity, adding that the agency would continue intensifying efforts to curb its spread across Nigeria.
