The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a public warning over the spread of dangerous illicit substances being sold as medicinal cannabis.
The warning comes after the arrest of a 28-year-old alleged drug kingpin, Afeez Salisu, popularly known as Malu, on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 2 Akala Street, off Umoru Street, Idi Oro, Mushin, Lagos.
According to the agency, the suspect had been packaging and distributing the fake drugs in branded pouches and cups to mislead buyers.
In a statement released on Wednesday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said operatives recovered 16.4 kilograms of synthetic cannabis variants — including Colorado, Arizona, Canadian Loud, and Ghana Loud — from the suspect’s store.
According to Babafemi, the seized substances, labelled as medicinal cannabis, were in fact dangerous and highly potent psychoactive variants, not approved or regulated pharmaceutical products.
He explained that investigations revealed the products contained high concentrations of illicit cannabis strains linked to severe psychological and cognitive effects such as psychosis, paranoia, and anxiety, particularly among young users.
Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), said the syndicate behind the illicit trade was exploiting global conversations around medicinal cannabis to push harmful products into Nigerian communities.
“Cannabis remains a prohibited substance in Nigeria. Any product being sold locally under the guise of medicinal cannabis is fake, dangerous, and illegal,” Marwa stated.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant, avoid consuming such products, and report anyone involved in their distribution to the nearest NDLEA office.