By Evelyn Usman Providence Ayofeoluwa
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, formally took over 4,173.5 kilograms of cannabis indica valued over N10.4 billion, intercepted through a joint operation involving the agency and the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, at the Tin Can Seaport in Lagos.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Assistant Commander-General of Narcotics, ACGN Archieabia Ogboba, disclosed that the traffickers adopted multiple shipping routes in an attempt to evade security checks and frustrate security agencies from tracking the consignment.
According to her, “The criminals intended to distort and frustrate law enforcement from monitoring their deadly container by creating multiple layers of movement. The container originated from Toronto by truck on March 28, 2026, and was further conveyed by rail to Montreal before it was loaded onboard vessel Jakarta Express Voyage from Montreal.
“It arrived at Tanger Med Port on April 15, 2026, where it was discharged and reloaded onto vessel Osaka Voyage before arriving at Tin Can Seaport on May 9, 2026.”
Ogboba explained that the illicit consignment was successfully tracked through sustained intelligence gathering and international collaboration involving the NDLEA Marine Intelligence Unit and foreign partners, including Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
She described the seizure as “an auspicious event where Nigeria is being defended from the daring and wicked activities of criminal merchants who are more concerned with profiteering than with the lives, health, and wellbeing of innocent citizens.”
Ogboba said the illicit drugs, alongside vehicles used as conveyances, would proceed through the necessary legal processes for final forfeiture in accordance with the law.
According to her, “The seizure is humongous, a total of 4,173.5kg of cannabis indica worth over N10.4 billion in street value. The interception of this large cache of illicit substances by the Nigerian security architecture at the seaports is highly commendable.”
She commended officers involved in the operation, describing them as “effective and patriotic gatekeepers in ensuring the safety and security of our maritime corridors.”
She also praised the professionalism and cooperation of sister agencies, particularly the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and the Nigeria Customs Service, during the joint examination that led to the recovery.
“It is pertinent to state that this seizure is not merely about yesterday’s examination and discovery; rather, it is the positive outcome of painstaking intelligence gathering, sustained surveillance, and strategic trailing of the container from March up until yesterday,” she said.
According to her, the successful interception underscored the importance of intelligence sharing, inter-agency cooperation, and international collaboration in combating transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.
She noted that the latest seizure followed earlier interceptions of 4,729kg of cannabis indica on April 27, 2026, and another 610.5kg on April 30, 2026.
Ogboba reaffirmed the agency’s commitment under the leadership of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), to intensify efforts against drug trafficking.
“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency remains resolute, vigilant, and uncompromising in its mandate to rid our society of narcotic substances and protect the future of our nation,” she said.
She added that the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between the NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service had continued to yield positive results.
“We shall continue to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, and all security agencies to continually disrupt, defeat, and dismantle these nefarious activities, while ensuring the safety of our maritime domain for legitimate trade, tourism, and national prosperity,” she added.
Earlier in his handover address, Comptroller of Tin Can Island Customs Command, Frank Onyema, said the illicit substances, which were packed in over 100 travelling bags, were concealed inside a 40-foot container originating from Canada, whose contents were declared as vehicles only.
According to him, “Exactly two weeks ago, on April 30, 2026, we gathered to brief the public on a major interception made through intelligence and cooperation between the Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA. Today, we are back here for yet another significant seizure.
“The container, which originated from Canada just like the previous one, was found to contain 8,347 packages of cannabis indica weighing 4,173.5 kilograms,” he said, describing the seizure as a deliberate attempt by criminal elements to undermine national security and destroy the lives of Nigerian youths for profit.
He noted that the development showed that criminal networks were still desperate to use Nigerian ports to smuggle illicit substances into the country, while security agencies remained vigilant and determined to stop them.
He assured Nigerians that the command would sustain its surveillance operations and intensify intelligence gathering to prevent further smuggling attempts.
“We are also determined to go beyond seizures. Those behind these shipments will be identified, traced, arrested, and prosecuted. Let me also clearly warn any insider collaborator aiding these criminal activities that this command will not spare anyone found compromising national security for personal gain,” Onyema warned.
He also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs for strengthening inter-agency collaboration and intelligence sharing.
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