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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has destroyed more than 329,865 kilogrammes of illicit drugs valued at about ₦301 billion in Lagos.
The drugs were publicly incinerated on Monday at Navy Town in the Ojo area of Lagos in a court-ordered exercise involving uncontested concluded cases and abandoned seizures.
The destroyed substances included cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ephedrine, khat leaves and various opioids, including tramadol and codeine syrup.
Several varieties of cannabis, including “Canadian Loud” and skunk, were also destroyed.
The NDLEA said the seized narcotics were the result of intensive operations conducted across Lagos between April 2025 and May 2026.
The agency’s Lagos Strategic Command accounted for the largest portion of the drugs, contributing 246,864.535kg.
A further 83,001.05kg was intercepted by specialised NDLEA units operating across the state, including the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Tincan and Apapa Strategic Commands, the Marine Command and a Special Operations Unit.
Speaking at the incineration site, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the destruction as a demonstration of Nigeria’s determination to tackle drug trafficking and protect citizens.
Marwa warned drug barons and their financiers that law enforcement agencies would continue to pursue them regardless of how sophisticated their networks were.
He said the destruction represented more than the disposal of seized narcotics, noting that the interdiction of large drug shipments would help protect communities from addiction and impaired driving.
According to him, the seizures would also reduce potential healthcare costs, protect the nation’s workforce and strengthen national security by cutting off financial resources available to violent extremist groups and organised criminal networks.
The event also highlighted cooperation between the NDLEA and other security agencies in combating drug trafficking.
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 reminder of the scale of the threat posed by illicit substances.
She reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to tackling drug abuse in collaboration with federal security agencies.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, linked the illegal drug trade to the activities of violent criminal groups, including bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, insurgents and terrorists.
Adeniyi said destroying the drugs not only deprived traffickers of investments worth billions of naira but also denied violent groups a potential source of funding.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, also pledged the military’s continued support for the NDLEA’s nationwide anti-narcotics operations.
