Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker fitted with a concealed compartment containing 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis in Ondo State.
The seizure was one of several major drug recoveries recorded by the agency during coordinated operations across nine states.
The tanker, marked MKA 960 XC, was intercepted along the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State on Friday, September 4, 2026, after its driver allegedly refused to stop when flagged down by NDLEA officers.
According to the NDLEA Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, the driver reportedly abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko before fleeing into the bush.
Operatives subsequently searched the vehicle and discovered a concealed compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg.
The cannabis was reportedly hidden alongside the legitimate fuel cargo, which was destined for Jos, Plateau State.
The NDLEA said the tanker had allegedly become notorious for evading arrest during previous operations, describing the interception as a significant breakthrough in its intelligence-led efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks.
The seizure formed part of coordinated operations across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states, during which operatives recovered large quantities of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, codeine and other controlled substances.
Other major seizures
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at more than ₦1.1 billion, concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment from Pakistan.
Another 57.80kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, valued at more than ₦173 million, was recovered from a shipment from Singapore.
At the Tin Can Port in Lagos, the agency intercepted 598.08kg, comprising 890 packets, of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies concealed in a 40-foot container.
The seizure was linked to an earlier interception involving 842.54kg of cannabis-infused cookies.
In Adamawa State, operatives recovered 864,000 opioid pills, particularly tramadol, from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect.
Another 2kg of methamphetamine was seized during a separate operation in Michika.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers recovered 636kg of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Ondo State to Jos along the Okene/Lokoja Highway.
In Taraba State, more than 109kg of assorted controlled substances, including tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin, were recovered from a vehicle travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State.
In Kaduna State, NDLEA officers intercepted a truck loaded with bags of cement along the Zaria-Kano Expressway and recovered 1,179kg of skunk.
In Ekiti State, operatives destroyed a four-hectare cannabis farm in Efon-Alaaye forest and recovered 117kg of harvested skunk.
The operations also extended to Enugu State, where 40,590 capsules of tramadol were recovered during an interception at Ugbema Junction.
Babafemi said the operations demonstrated the agency’s continued intelligence-led approach to dismantling drug trafficking networks and preventing illicit substances from reaching the public.
He added that the coordinated operations were part of sustained efforts to disrupt traffickers who continue to devise new methods of concealing and transporting illicit drugs.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers and men involved in the operations.
Marwa urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, stressing that traffickers attempting to evade detection through new identities, legitimate business fronts or sophisticated concealment methods would continue to be tracked down.