The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted two shipments of synthetic cannabis, popularly called Colorado or Colos, concealed in consolidated cargoes coming from the United Kingdom.
The agency also recovered two other consignments of the dangerous substance hidden in music speakers at two motor parks in Lagos, with at least seven suspects connected to the seized cargoes arrested.
The operations form part of raids across Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano, where the NDLEA says more than 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs were recovered.
At the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted a UK-inbound consignment concealing 27 parcels of Colos weighing 32.20 kilogrammes.
A real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, who showed up with a secret collection code relayed by his UK-based brother to collect a large luggage containing the illicit substance, was arrested on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
A follow-up operation stemming from a second UK consignment led operatives to the designated recipient of another consignment of Colorado weighing 12.25 kilogrammes.
The suspect, 44-year-old Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, said the consignment was sent to him by his brother in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, intercepted a music speaker rigged with three packs of Colorado at a motor park in Maza Maza, Lagos.
The consignment was heading to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and ultimately Liberia.
A tour agent, 41-year-old Ifeanyi Obed Augustine, and the owner of the consignment, 46-year-old Obasi Ugochuckwu, were both arrested after a swift sting operation at a nearby eatery.
In a separate operation at Iddo Park, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry was arrested on Friday, September 11, while attempting to dispatch 2.1 kilogrammes of Colorado to Kano.
In Delta State, two separate arrests at Ughelli and Asaba yielded a haul of ampoules of pentazocine injection, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, also known as Hypnox, and MDMA, or Molly.
Several of the drugs were concealed in music speakers, while two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested.
In Kano, a raid at Sabon Gari led to the arrest of 20-year-old Saidu Adamu with 785,000 capsules of pregabalin weighing 669.425 kilogrammes.
A stop-and-search operation along the Zaria–Kano–Hadejia Road also netted 1,700 tablets of diazepam concealed inside loaves of bread, seized from 28-year-old Habibu Sabitu.
In Plateau State, 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor was arrested at Katako Market, Jos, with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.
The agency also sustained pressure on illicit cannabis cultivation with the destruction of 4,832.56 kilogrammes of skunk on cannabis farms at Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest in Ovia South West, Owan East and Owan West Local Government Areas of Edo State.
A suspect, 39-year-old Sunday Segun, was arrested there on Friday, September 11.
In Ondo State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on Wednesday, September 9, raided a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure.
They recovered 186 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car with registration number ABJ 917 FV from 58-year-old Paul Ogbuwala, who the agency says was planning to move the consignment to Jos for onward distribution.
In Kaduna, Hannah Michael was arrested at Gonin Gora with 369.6 kilogrammes of cannabis.
And in Bayelsa State, four suspects, including a 70-year-old woman, Godwoman Gboriye, were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876 kilogrammes.
The other suspects are 44-year-old Motombo Silver, 39-year-old Pere Andrew and 43-year-old Keme Andrew.
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Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu
