Nigeria’s anti-narcotics campaign recorded a significant breakthrough in the Federal Capital Territory as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dismantled multiple drug hubs across Abuja, arresting 132 suspects and recovering over 220 kilogrammes of illicit substances in a coordinated two-week operation.
The crackdown, carried out between April 11 and 25, involved operatives from the agency’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation in collaboration with the FCT Strategic Command. Authorities described the exercise as one of the most comprehensive enforcement actions in recent months.
In a statement, NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said the raids followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting entrenched drug networks linked to substance abuse and criminal activity in the capital.
Operations spanned several identified hotspots, including Torabora Hills, Area 3, Gwarinpa, AYA, Durumi, Banex, Dei-Dei, Kubwa, Apo, Kwali, Gwagwalada, Wuse Zone 4, Garki Area 10, Jabi, and the Suleja axis, where fortified drug joints and distribution centres were dismantled.
A breakdown of the seizures showed 214.79 kilogrammes of skunk as the dominant haul, alongside other controlled substances such as Diazepam, Tramadol, Mogadon, Rohypnol, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, MDMA, and bottles of Codeine.
The agency disclosed that operatives met resistance in parts of Durumi Area 1 and the Suleja market axis, where suspected traffickers attempted to obstruct the raids. Officials said the situation was contained through coordinated tactical response, with no casualties recorded.
Director of Operations and General Investigation, Ahmed Sule Ningi, commended the professionalism of officers involved, noting that sustained enforcement remains critical to preventing a resurgence of drug networks.
NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa described the operation as a decisive step toward curbing drug syndicates in the capital and directed that the strategy be replicated in other high-risk urban centres nationwide.
He stressed that disrupting supply chains must be complemented by efforts to reduce demand, warning that traffickers would continue to face intensified pressure as the agency expands its nationwide offensive.
The operation highlights growing concern among authorities over Nigeria’s deepening drug challenge, with Abuja increasingly identified as a strategic hub in illicit drug distribution networks.
