The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested 3,705 suspects and seized 53,980.27 kilogrammes of illicit drugs between July 1 and Aug. 21, 2026.
The Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this at the Joint Security News Briefing by security and law enforcement agencies on Tuesday in Abuja. He was represented by the Acting Assistant Director, Media and Advocacy, Francis Okogun.
He said 471 convictions were secured from 574 cases prosecuted, while 990 drug users received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation during the period.
Babafemi said 2,298 targeted operations were conducted, leading to the dismantling of 90 major criminal gangs and the destruction of more than 1,200 drug joints nationwide.
He added that the operations resulted in the recovery of N8 million, £2,800 and €7,750, as well as four firearms and 403 rounds of military-grade ammunition.
The agency also secured court orders freezing bank accounts worth N9.8 billion linked to cartel operations, as well as interim and final forfeitures of luxury assets, including buildings, commercial properties, filling stations and high-end vehicles.
Babafemi highlighted the dismantling of transnational drug syndicates operating across West Africa, Europe, Asia and South America among the agency’s major enforcement actions.
He said more than 1.63 million Tramadol pills linked to a three-truck trafficking pipeline originating from Togo and Benin Republic were intercepted. The operation led to the arrest of two suspects transporting 853,000 pills, alongside other consignments of Tramadol, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
He further said a major cocaine syndicate was dismantled following the interception of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine at a courier facility in Lagos.
According to him, an alleged cartel mastermind was arrested at the departure gate of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while attempting to board a flight to Paris.
Investigations into the syndicate, he said, exposed the use of fake identities and front companies to move illicit proceeds worth billions of naira.
Babafemi said 329,865.58 kilogrammes of seized illicit drugs, valued at N301.058 billion, were destroyed during a public destruction exercise in Lagos on Aug. 17.
He added that no personnel casualty was recorded during the agency’s kinetic operations within the reporting period.
Beyond enforcement, Babafemi said the War Against Drug Abuse initiative reached 225,500 people through 399 advocacy and sensitisation campaigns across schools, workplaces, places of worship, markets and communities.
He said the agency also continued international cooperation, including engagements with Egyptian and United States agencies on intelligence sharing, joint operations and personnel training.
“Intelligence-led operations remain central to our efforts to penetrate cartel structures, disrupt supply chains and reduce the demand for illicit drugs,” he said.
He stressed that the agency would sustain its intelligence-driven approach while strengthening partnerships with security agencies, international partners and communities.
