The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a consignment of the illicit stimulant Captagon in Kwara State, as part of a nationwide anti-narcotics operation that resulted in multiple arrests, major drug seizures, and the recovery of materials linked to explosive devices.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu Road in Kwara apprehended a 33-year-old suspect, Nasiru Mu’azu, in possession of 10,000 pills of Captagon. The drug, an amphetamine associated with militant activity in the Middle East, is making a reappearance in Nigeria nearly five years after its first recorded seizure at Apapa seaport in Lagos.
Commonly referred to as a “terror drug,” Captagon is known for its stimulant effects, including prolonged alertness, heightened aggression, and reduced fear. It has been linked to usage by extremist groups such as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The agency disclosed that the suspect was intercepted aboard a passenger trailer, where a search also led to the discovery of nine packets of Tapentadol 250mg. In a separate operation at the same location, NDLEA operatives intercepted another truck with a concealed compartment containing 155,900 capsules of tramadol, 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection, 3,000 tablets of co-codamol, and 9,000 tablets of bromazepam. A 24-year-old suspect, Aminu Isah, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Oyo State, operatives foiled a drug trafficking attempt involving ingestion. A businessman, Eze Emeka, was arrested along the Ibadan-Oyo expressway after medical scans confirmed he had ingested illicit substances. He later excreted 45 wraps of cocaine weighing over one kilogramme. Investigations indicate the drugs were intended for trafficking to Europe via trans-Saharan routes.
Further nationwide operations yielded significant results. In Edo State, officers intercepted a truck conveying more than 1.1 million opioid pills bound for Onitsha, leading to the arrest of two suspects. In Lagos, a suspect was apprehended with 810 kilogrammes of a potent strain of cannabis, while in Bauchi State, another individual was arrested with over 150 kilogrammes of skunk.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives recovered approximately 470 kilogrammes of cannabis from a residential building. Meanwhile, in Cross River State, a major raid led to the destruction of 20,000 kilogrammes of cannabis cultivated across eight hectares of farmland.
In a related development underscoring the security implications of drug trafficking, operatives in Niger State recovered 394 components used in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from a suspect. The materials have been handed over to relevant security agencies for further investigation.
Chairman of NDLEA, Buba Marwa, described the Captagon interception as a major breakthrough and warned of attempts by criminal networks to revive dormant trafficking routes.
“We are not just seizing drugs; we are dismantling the enablers of violence and insecurity,” he said, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to preventing the proliferation of dangerous substances.
Marwa also commended NDLEA operatives nationwide for sustaining enforcement efforts while advancing public awareness through the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
The agency reiterated its resolve to block the entry and distribution of harmful drugs such as Captagon, warning traffickers that surveillance and enforcement across Nigeria’s borders and transit corridors remain intensified.
