The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested 29,262 suspected drug traffickers, seized illicit drugs valued at more than ₦1.5 trillion, and secured 5,225 convictions over the past 18 months in one of its biggest anti-drug crackdowns.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed the figures during the grand finale of activities marking the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Abuja.
Marwa said the agency’s intelligence-led operations, carried out in collaboration with international partners, have led to the dismantling of several major drug trafficking networks, including the notorious Amadi Simon drug cartel in partnership with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and law enforcement agencies in Greece, France, and Switzerland.
He also revealed that the NDLEA recently dismantled another international methamphetamine syndicate with the arrest of a 63-year-old Nigerian drug kingpin, three Mexican nationals, and six Nigerian accomplices. In a separate operation, the agency uncovered an industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratory in Oyo State, leading to the arrest of another Mexican national and four suspects.
According to Marwa, the agency has arrested 234 suspected drug barons linked to major trafficking networks since 2021, while more than 5.3 million kilograms of illicit drugs have been confiscated in the last 18 months alone.
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said it has intensified drug prevention efforts, conducting 6,645 awareness campaignsthat reached nearly five million Nigerians and providing counselling, treatment, and rehabilitation services to 13,508 drug users through its rehabilitation centres nationwide.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to combating drug abuse and trafficking through stronger law enforcement, innovation, and international collaboration.
The President also urged parents, schools, religious leaders, traditional institutions, the media, and the private sector to work together in preventing substance abuse and supporting rehabilitation efforts across the country.
