The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed more than 329,865 kilogrammes of illicit drugs valued at about N301 billion in Lagos.
The drugs were publicly incinerated on Monday, August 17, 2026, at Navy Town in the Ojo area of the state following a court order covering uncontested concluded cases and abandoned seizures.
The destroyed substances included cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ephedrine, khat leaves and several opioids, including tramadol and codeine syrup.
Different strains of cannabis, including Canadian Loud and skunk, were also among the narcotics destroyed.
The seizures were recorded during operations conducted across Lagos between April 2025 and May 2026.
The NDLEA Lagos Strategic Command accounted for the largest portion, with 246,864.535kg of the drugs.
Another 83,001.05kg were seized by specialised formations operating in the state.
These included the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Tincan and Apapa Strategic Commands, the Marine Command and a Special Operations Unit.
Speaking during the destruction exercise, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the operation demonstrated the Federal Government’s determination to protect Nigerians and disrupt drug trafficking networks.
Marwa warned drug barons, financiers and other actors involved in the illicit trade that security agencies would continue to pursue them regardless of the sophistication of their networks.
He said the significance of the exercise went beyond the physical destruction of seized narcotics, noting that preventing the drugs from reaching communities would help reduce addiction, impaired driving and other social consequences of drug abuse.
According to him, successful drug interdiction also saves the country substantial healthcare costs, protects the productivity of the workforce and strengthens national security by disrupting financial channels that could support violent extremism and organised crime.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, described the destruction of the drugs as a sobering indication of the scale of the illicit drug threat.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to working with federal security agencies to tackle drug abuse and trafficking.
Also speaking, Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, linked the illicit drug economy to the activities of violent non-state actors, including bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, insurgents and terrorists.
Adeniyi said the destruction represented billions of naira in lost investments for drug traffickers while simultaneously denying criminal groups funds needed to sustain their operations.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, pledged continued military support for the NDLEA’s anti-drug operations across the country.
