TD The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has publicly destroyed 329,865.585 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs with an estimated street value of N301.058 billion in Lagos.
The court-ordered destruction exercise, conducted on Monday, August 17, 2026, at Navy Town, Ojo, followed orders of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, and involved illicit drugs from concluded uncontested cases and abandoned seizures.
According to the NDLEA, 246,864.535kg of the destroyed substances were seized by its Lagos Strategic Command between April 2025 and May 2026. Another 83,001.05kg came from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Tincan and Apapa Strategic Commands, the Marine Command and a Special Operations Unit operating in Lagos.
The destroyed substances included cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis varieties such as Canadian Loud and skunk, ephedrine, tramadol, codeine syrup and other opioids, as well as khat leaves.
Speaking at the ceremony, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the exercise as a demonstration of Nigeria’s determination to protect its citizens and deprive criminal networks of resources.
Marwa said the destruction represented more than the elimination of contraband, noting that illicit drugs threaten young people, families and communities while contributing to drug-related crime and impaired driving.
He added that the illicit drug trade weakens the labour force, increases healthcare costs, discourages investment and drains public resources that could otherwise be deployed to education, healthcare and infrastructure.
According to him, every consignment intercepted by the NDLEA prevents potentially significant economic and social losses associated with addiction, crime and social dislocation.
The NDLEA chairman also linked drug trafficking to broader security challenges, noting that proceeds from the illicit drug trade can finance organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism.
He said the seizure and destruction of narcotics therefore formed part of the country’s wider national security effort.
Marwa commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the agency’s mandate and acknowledged the contributions of the judiciary, Lagos State Government, military, sister security agencies, international partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, the media and members of the public.
He also paid tribute to NDLEA personnel, particularly officers operating in Lagos, for the risks and sacrifices associated with their duties.
Issuing a warning to drug barons, traffickers, financiers, distributors and dealers, Marwa said the era of operating with impunity was over.
“Wherever you hide, whoever sponsors you and however sophisticated your network may be, the long arm of the law will reach you.”
He vowed that the agency would remain committed to dismantling criminal networks and tracing their financial resources.
Marwa further urged parents, schools, religious and traditional leaders and the media to become active participants in the fight against illicit drugs, stressing that the NDLEA could not win the battle alone.
Sanwo-Olu: Destruction Highlights Scale of Drug Threat
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu described the destruction of nearly 330 tonnes of narcotics and psychotropic substances as a sobering indication of the scale of the drug threat facing Nigerian communities and young people.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said the exercise also demonstrated what could be achieved when law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and government institutions worked together.
“The scale of what has been destroyed today, about 300 tons of narcotics and psychotropic substances, is a huge and sobering reminder of the enormity of the threat that illicit drugs pose to our communities, our young people, and our collective future,” the governor said.
He assured that Lagos State remained committed to combating drug abuse and trafficking.
Customs CG Links Drug Trade to Violent Crime
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, commended the NDLEA for its operations and said the scale of the seizures reflected enforcement activities at Nigeria’s seaports, airports and land borders.
Adeniyi said the destruction sent a strong message to drug traffickers that Nigeria was becoming increasingly hostile to their operations.
He also identified a link between proceeds from the illicit drug trade and violent non-state actors.
According to him, drug trafficking provides financial resources for criminal groups involved in banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, insurgency and terrorism.
He described the destruction as symbolic of efforts to deprive such groups of the financial resources required to sustain their activities.
The Customs chief commended Marwa and NDLEA officers and operatives involved in the seizures.
Navy Pledges Continued Support
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, was represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha.
Abbas assured the NDLEA of the Nigerian Navy’s continued support for the country’s drug-control efforts.
The exercise underscores the scale of illicit drug trafficking confronting Nigeria.
It highlights increased inter-agency cooperation among the NDLEA, judiciary, military, customs authorities and government institutions in disrupting the supply and financing of narcotics.
