NDLEA destroys cannabis farms, confiscates N7.8bn opioids

Abdullateef Fowewe

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared a series of major victories in its nationwide war against narcotics, including the arrest of a long-sought drug kingpin and the seizure of drugs valued at over ₦7.8 billion.

After a three-year manhunt, operatives arrested 36-year-old Sunday Ibigide in Delta State on August 10, 2025.

He was captured alongside his accomplice, 27-year-old Clement Osuya, while attempting to distribute 250 blocks of cannabis weighing 138 kilograms.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi in a statement noted that Ibigide had been on the agency’s wanted list since 2022, following a seizure of 24 kilograms of cannabis and 10 grams of molly.

In Enugu State, a joint operation involving NDLEA officers, military personnel, and local vigilantes led to the destruction of three cannabis farms spanning 15 hectares, with an estimated 37,500 kilograms of cannabis uprooted.

Six suspects were arrested, and an additional 74.5 kilograms of harvested cannabis were recovered for prosecution.

Further operations in the state saw patrols intercept 20,700 pills of tramadol and cocodamol, leading to the arrest of 53-year-old Emmanuel Ayogu.

Two other suspects were caught with 27.6 kilograms of cannabis.

In Lagos, a mother-and-son duo, 52-year-old Muyibat Mumuni and 25-year-old Faruk Mumuni, were arrested with 149 kilograms of “Ghana Loud” cannabis in Mushin.

Another trafficker, Emmanuel Samuel, was caught in Ajah, Lekki, with 8.5 kilograms of “Canadian Loud.”

The agency also recorded one of its largest seizures of the year at Onne Port, Rivers State, where a joint inspection uncovered 875,000 bottles of codeine syrup valued at over ₦6.1 billion, alongside 3.5 million tablets of tramadol and benzhexol worth ₦1.7 billion.