We’ll continue to dismantle drug cartels and their financial spine, Marwa vows

•NDLEA destroys N301bn worth of cocaine, heroin, opioids in Lagos

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has publicly destroyed 329,865.585 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs worth an estimated N301,058,076,000 in a court-ordered exercise in Lagos.

The exercise, conducted pursuant to orders of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, involved the destruction of illicit drugs recovered in concluded cases that were not contested, as well as abandoned seizures.

Of the total quantity destroyed, 246,864.535kg were seized by the Lagos Strategic Command of the agency between April 2025 and May 2026, while 83,001.05kg were recovered by the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Tin Can and Apapa Strategic Commands, the Marine Command and a Special Operations Unit, all operating in Lagos.

The destroyed substances comprised cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis varieties, including Canadian Loud and skunk, ephedrine, tramadol, codeine syrup, other opioids and khat leaves.

Speaking at the exercise held at Navy Town, Ojo area of Lagos, on Monday, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), described the destruction as a bold demonstration of Nigeria’s determination to protect its citizens and deny criminal enterprises the resources required to thrive.

Marwa said behind every kilogramme of narcotics destroyed was the story of a young life at risk, a family affected by addiction and communities endangered by drug-related crime and impaired driving.

He said the destruction represented more than the elimination of contraband, stressing that illicit drugs weaken the labour force, increase healthcare costs, discourage investment and drain public resources that should be channelled into education, healthcare and infrastructure.

According to him, every consignment intercepted by the agency saves the country billions of naira in potential losses associated with addiction, crime and social dislocation.

The NDLEA boss also linked illicit drug trafficking to Nigeria’s broader security challenges, noting that the drug trade helps finance organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism globally.

He said the seizure and destruction of illicit substances therefore strengthened the country’s national security architecture.

Marwa commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its strategic support for the agency’s mandate, as well as the Judiciary, Lagos State Government, military, sister security agencies, international partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, the media and members of the public for their collaboration.

He also paid tribute to NDLEA personnel across the country, particularly officers serving in Lagos, for the risks and sacrifices they make in the course of duty.

Issuing a stern warning to drug barons, traffickers, financiers, distributors and dealers, Marwa said their days of operating with impunity were over.

“Wherever you hide, whoever sponsors you and however sophisticated your network may be, the long arm of the law will reach you,” he said.

He vowed that the agency would remain resolute, relentless and uncompromising in its determination to pursue and dismantle criminal networks and their financial structures.

Marwa called on parents, schools, religious and traditional leaders and the media to become active stakeholders in the fight against illicit drugs, stressing that the war could not be won by the NDLEA alone.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, described the scale of the destruction — about 300 tonnes of narcotics and psychotropic substances — as a sobering reminder of the threat posed by illicit drugs to communities, young people and the collective future of the state.

Sanwo-Olu said the exercise also demonstrated what could be achieved when law enforcement agencies, the Judiciary and government worked together, not only to enforce the law but also to uphold justice and protect society.

He assured that Lagos State remained committed to confronting drug abuse and trafficking.

In his goodwill message, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the NDLEA deserved the accolades it had received from local and international partners.

He said the exercise reflected the scale of operations conducted across the country’s seaports, airports and land borders, adding that it sent a strong message that drug dealers were no longer welcome in Nigeria.

Adeniyi pointed to the link between drug trafficking and violent non-state actors, noting that bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, insurgents and terrorists rely on the drug trade as a source of funding.

According to him, the destruction exercise was symbolic of both the billions of naira in investments drug dealers stood to lose and the NDLEA’s efforts to deny violent non-state actors the resources needed to sustain their activities.

He commended the NDLEA chairman and personnel across the agency’s commands for the operation.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, assured the NDLEA of the Nigerian Navy’s continued support for the country’s drug control efforts under the agency’s coordination.