NDLEA Intercepts 825,000 Opioid Pills in Nationwide Raids
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the interception of more than 825,000 opioid pills in a series of nationwide operations spanning Kano, Adamawa, and Kogi states.
The raids, carried out in late August 2025, also led to the seizure of thousands of ampoules of pentazocine and diazepam injections, pregabalin capsules, and bottles of codeine syrup.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives stopped a truck loaded with cartons of tramadol and diazepam pills concealed among legitimate goods. Similar arrests were made in Adamawa, where traffickers attempted to distribute large batches of pentazocine injections, while in Kogi, operatives intercepted vehicles transporting pregabalin capsules bound for other parts of the country.
The latest seizures come against the backdrop of a wider crackdown on the trafficking of illicit opioids into Nigeria. Earlier in May 2025, NDLEA intercepted six million opioid pills and 332,000 bottles of codeine syrup at the Apapa and Onne ports, a consignment estimated at over ₦6.5 billion.
That operation, which also involved the arrest of two foreign nationals, highlighted the international dimension of the trade.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has repeatedly stressed that the agency will sustain its aggressive approach towards dismantling drug trafficking networks, describing the opioid crisis as a major threat to Nigeria’s public health and security. He noted that opioids remain one of the most abused categories of drugs in the country, fuelling addiction, crime, and other social problems.
The agency has assured Nigerians that it will not relent in its efforts, pledging tougher surveillance at borders, ports, and highways to cut off the supply chain. It also urged communities to support the fight by providing timely information on the movement and storage of illicit substances.
With the latest operations yielding hundreds of thousands of pills in a single sweep, the NDLEA says it is determined to intensify the battle against drug cartels determined to flood Nigerian streets with dangerous substances.
