The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has formally taken custody of 4,173.5kg of Cannabis Indica intercepted at Tin Can Seaport, in a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service described as a major blow to transnational drug traffickers.
Speaking during the handover on 13 May 2026, ACG Archieabia Ibinabo Ogboba FSI said the seizure, valued at over ₦10.4bn in street value, reflects the effectiveness of intelligence-led collaboration between Nigerian and international security agencies.
“This is an auspicious event where Nigeria is being defended from the daring and wicked activities of criminal merchants who are more concerned with profiteering than with the lives, health, and wellbeing of innocent citizens,” Ogboba stated.
The consignment, concealed in a container, was tracked for over two months through intelligence sharing between NDLEA’s Marine Intelligence Unit and foreign partners including U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The container moved from Toronto to Montreal by truck and rail, then by sea via Tanger Med Port before arriving Lagos on 9 May 2026.
Ogboba commended the professionalism of the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Port Authority, and other security agencies involved in the joint examination that led to the recovery. He said the operation underscores the impact of the renewed Memorandum of Understanding between NDLEA and NCS.
“This seizure is not merely about yesterday’s examination and discovery. It is the positive outcome of painstaking intelligence gathering, sustained surveillance, and strategic trailing of the container from March up until yesterday,” he said.
The agency confirmed the exhibits will proceed through legal processes for final forfeiture. Ogboba noted the operation follows recent NDLEA interceptions of 4,729kg of Cannabis Indica on 27 April and 610.5kg on 30 April 2026.
He reaffirmed that under the leadership of Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) CON, the agency remains resolute in its mandate to rid Nigeria of narcotics and protect public health and national security.
“We shall continue to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Port Authority, and all security agencies to continually disrupt, defeat, and dismantle these nefarious activities, while ensuring the safety of our maritime domain for legitimate trade, tourism, and national prosperity,” Ogboba said.
