The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of synthetic cannabis strains, including “Colos” concealed in moimoi sachets and Canadian “Loud” hidden in canned food, during major raids across Nigeria, with Lagos recording some of the biggest busts.
Among the suspects arrested in the operations was Chinese businessman Liang Tak You, who was nabbed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Friday, July 25, 2025. Acting on intelligence, NDLEA operatives tracked Liang from Bangkok via Dubai to Lagos, where he was caught attempting to smuggle 50 parcels of “Loud” weighing 26.10kg into the country. The drug was concealed in two suitcases he picked up in Thailand.
In another operation along the Epe-Ajah Expressway, NDLEA officers on Wednesday, July 23, intercepted suspect Chidi Agbafo transporting 21.7kg of Colorado cannabis — some of it disguised in local moimoi cooking sachets — along with 3.8 litres of codeine-based syrup. The drugs were reportedly destined for delivery in Warri and Oghara, Delta State.
The agency also uncovered 101kg of Canadian Loud at the Apapa seaport during a joint operation with Nigeria Customs and other security agencies. The illicit drugs were disguised as a food item labelled “Bean Salad Mix” and packed in 202 tins hidden inside two Toyota Sienna buses shipped in from Canada.
Beyond Lagos, the NDLEA made several arrests and seizures nationwide. In Cross River, 80-year-old Grace Ekpeme was arrested on Saturday, July 26, with over 3kg of skunk at her residence in Calabar South. In Borno, 30-year-old Binta Usman was apprehended with 30.1kg of skunk, with a follow-up arrest of her alleged accomplice, Bala Abdullahi.
Three brothers — Nanna, Chizom, and Maxwell Ozirinye — were arrested in Ondo State during the raid of a cannabis farm in Idoani, where over 2,500kg of skunk was destroyed and 121.4kg of the processed drug recovered.
Other highlights from the week-long operations include:
- The arrest of Bright Sunday Okon in Edo State with multiple strains of cannabis and methamphetamine.
- The recovery of 105.4kg of skunk from an abandoned vehicle in Keffi, Nasarawa.
- The seizure of over 70,000 pills of tramadol, diazepam, and Exol-5 in Kaduna and Niger states.
- Multiple drug-related arrests in Ogun, Gombe, Kogi, and Abuja, including concealment of drugs in food items like garri and dried scent leaves.
Meanwhile, NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) outreach programs continued with sensitization campaigns in secondary schools across Oyo, Ebonyi, Sokoto, and Lagos states, as well as advocacy visits to traditional rulers in Anambra.
Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the operatives in Lagos, Apapa, MMIA, and other state commands for their commitment to both drug supply suppression and demand reduction.