Prodigy Herald

MARWA CHARGES NDLEA INVESTIGATORS TO TARGET DRUG CARTELS' FINANCIAL NETWORKS By Jennifer Nwosu  The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), has challenged investigators and prosecutors to intensify efforts to trace, seize and recover the proceeds and assets of drug trafficking networks. Marwa spoke Wednesday, September, 2, 2026, while declaring open an Advanced Capacity Building Programme on Financial Investigations, Asset Tracing, Forfeiture, Recovery and Management of the Proceeds and Instrumentalities of Narcotics Trafficking and Related Organised Crime in Abuja.   According to a statement released by NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, t he NDLEA chief said drug trafficking is fundamentally an economic enterprise sustained by financiers, facilitators, money launderers and professional enablers. He stressed that arrests and drug seizures alone are insufficient i...

NDLEA ARRESTS 101-YEAR-OLD WOMAN, UNCOVERS NEW THAI CANNABIS ROUTE By Jennifer Nwosu The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has made major drug seizures across Nigeria, including the arrest of a 101-year-old woman for alleged cannabis dealing, the interception of cocaine concealed in edible cassava flour and the seizure of more than N4.4 billion worth of synthetic cannabis at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos. In a statement released by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA said its' latest operations covered land and maritime routes and resulted in the recovery of cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, tramadol, codeine and other illicit substances. The centenarian, Esther Ogunmabo, was arrested in Ilisan, Ogun State, on Aug. 15 with 90 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets. She reportedly told operatives she turned to drug sales after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire and that a daughter in Lagos supplied the drugs. NDLEA Chairman/Chie...

NDLEA ARRESTS ‘KC LUXURY' AS N39BN COCAINE CARTEL IS DISMANTLED  By Jennifer Nwosu The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled an international cocaine trafficking cartel that allegedly used Nigeria as a transit hub for shipments to the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, arresting its' Nigerian kingpin as he attempted to leave the country. In a statement released by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), said the investigation followed the seizure of 184.50 kilograms of cocaine valued at about N39 billion through a courier logistics channel in Lagos. Marwa disclosed the development while briefing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. He said the scale of the seizure prompted the creation of a Special Investigation Team to trace the couriers, intermediaries and financiers behind the shipment. The investigation led to the arrest of Lawal Muja...

N301BN COCAINE, HEROIN, OPIOIDS DESTROYED AS NDLEA STEPS UP WAR ON DRUG CARTELS  By Jennifer Nwosu The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 329,865.585 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs valued at an estimated N301.06 billion in Lagos, in one of the Agency’s largest court-ordered destruction exercises. In a statement released by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), said the exercise demonstrated Nigeria’s determination to dismantle drug trafficking networks and cut off the financial resources that sustain them. The destruction took place Monday, August 17, 2026, at Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos, following Federal High Court orders covering uncontested concluded cases and abandoned seizures. The drugs included cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Canadian Loud, skunk, ephedrine, tramadol, codeine syrup, other opioids and khat. Of the total quantity destroyed, 2...

DRUG WAR HAS NO END DATE, MARWA TELLS NDLEA OFFICERS AT 12th AWARDS CEREMONY By Jennifer Nwosu The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has honoured 274 personnel, 18 high-performing commands and 19 NGOs and media organisations for outstanding contributions to the fight against illicit drugs and substance abuse in Nigeria. In a statement released by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), said the recognition was aimed at encouraging resilience among personnel and partners confronting what he described as a generational challenge. Marwa spoke on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the 12th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer’s Commendations and Awards ceremony at the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja. He stressed that the drug war has no fixed end date, as criminal networks continue to adapt by creating new trafficking routes and replacing dismantled cartels. He said the fi...

DRUG TRAFFICKING RING SUFFERS FRESH BLOW AS NDLEA SEIZES COCAINE BOUND FOR CHINA, ITALY By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its' offensive against drug trafficking with the interception of cocaine consignments cleverly concealed for export to China and Italy, while also recording major arrests and seizures in Rivers, Anambra, Delta, Nasarawa and Zamfara states. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency said the successful operations underscore the sustained intelligence-driven strategy of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd). The coordinated operations targeted international drug trafficking networks, local drug distribution channels and suspected criminal supply routes across different parts of the country. According to the Agency, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two sepa...

NDLEA BUSTS MULTI-BILLION-NAIRA DRUG SYNDICATES, SEIZES COCAINE, CANADIAN LOUD AND OPIOIDS WORTH OVER ₦10 BILLION By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its' nationwide offensive against drug trafficking with the interception of cocaine, Canadian Loud and opioid consignments worth more than ₦10 billion, while also dismantling multiple trafficking syndicates and recovering military-grade ammunition during coordinated operations across Lagos, Kaduna, Katsina and Edo states. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency said the operations reflect the sustained intelligence-driven strategy of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), whose leadership continues to strengthen the Agency's efforts to disrupt organized drug trafficking networks and safeguard Nigeria's borders. One of the major breakthroughs led to the arrest of Onuigbo Nd...

MARWA SEEKS STRONGER ROLE FOR MONARCHS, FAMILIES IN ACTION AGAINST DRUG ABUSE  By Jennifer Nwosu  The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has called on traditional rulers, parents and community leaders across Nigeria to take greater ownership of the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, stressing that lasting success depends on active community participation. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency said Marwa made the appeal while serving as Chairman of the 10th Akinale Day celebration and the First Coronation Anniversary of Oba Oluseyi Ayodeji Adewole Adediran, Otileta I, Towulade of Owu Akinale, held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Baptist Primary School, Owu Akinale, Ogun State. The NDLEA chairman emphasized that traditional institutions remain critical partners in protecting communities from the grow...

NDLEA INTERCEPTS 1.63 MILLION TRAMADOL PILLS BOUND FOR KANO, ARRESTS 80-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT  By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded another major breakthrough in its sustained offensive against transnational drug trafficking, intercepting 1.63 million tramadol pills concealed in two long-haul trailers headed for Kano from Lagos. The latest operation also led to multiple arrests across Lagos, Edo, Rivers and Kogi states, underscoring the Agency's expanding intelligence-driven campaign against organized drug networks. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency said the coordinated operations reflect the strategic leadership of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), whose sustained focus on intelligence-led enforcement continues to disrupt drug trafficking syndicates operating across Nigeria and neighboring countries. According to the Ag...

NDLEA, NCC LAUNCH INTELLIGENCE ALLIANCE TO TARGET DRUG CARTELS, COPYRIGHT PIRATES   By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have formalized a strategic partnership aimed at combating drug trafficking, copyright piracy and other forms of organized crime through intelligence sharing, joint operations and institutional collaboration. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, July 17, 2026, reflects the commitment of Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) to strengthening inter-agency cooperation in confronting evolving criminal networks that threaten Nigeria's security and economy. Marwa explained that although the NDLEA and NCC operate under different mandates, criminal investigations have consistently sh...

NDLEA TARGETS DRUG CARTEL'S FINANCES, SEEKS FOUR SUSPECTS IN MULTI-BILLION-NAIRA METH CASE  By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has escalated its' offensive against organized drug trafficking by declaring an alleged drug kingpin and three associates wanted while freezing nearly ₦9.84 billion linked to a methamphetamine production syndicate and securing court-approved forfeiture of multiple high-value assets. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency said the operation underscores the commitment of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) to dismantling drug trafficking networks by targeting both their operations and the financial structures that sustain them. The wanted suspects are Nnamuka Kelvin Uchenna, also known as Odogwu, Emmanuella Chinonso Iroka, Nnamuka Ifeanyi Kingsley, and Ekechi Franklin Chijioke, also known as Ekene Okwunaga. They...

NDLEA, EGYPTIAN ENVOY ADVANCE CROSS- BORDER STRATEGY TO COMBAT DRUG CARTELS IN AFRICA By Jennifer Nwosu  Nigeria and Egypt are taking steps to deepen bilateral cooperation in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse, with both countries advancing plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will strengthen intelligence sharing, joint operations and personnel training. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed that Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) reaffirmed the Agency's readiness to formalize the partnership during a courtesy visit by the Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohammed Fouad, at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Marwa said Nigeria and Egypt have maintained strong diplomatic relations over the years, but the growing threat posed by transnational drug trafficking now demand...

NDLEA TAKES ALLEGED INTERNATIONAL DRUG SYNDICATE TO COURT OVER MULTI-BILLION-NAIRA METH OPERATION  By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned alleged drug kingpin Anochili Innocent, three Mexican nationals and six other suspects before the Federal High Court in Lagos over the discovery of a large-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden in the Mowe forest of Ijebu East Local Government Area, Ogun State. The Agency said the operation uncovered 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated international street value exceeding ₦480 billion, making it one of the largest illicit drug manufacturing cases ever prosecuted in Nigeria. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) described the prosecution as a major milestone in Nigeria's fight against organised transnational drug trafficking. He no...

FG REAFFIRMS RESOLVE TO CRUSH DRUG CARTELS AS NDLEA, PARTNERS LAUNCH NATIONAL DRUG USE SUMMIT  By Jennifer Nwosu  The Federal Government has reaffirmed its' commitment to combating illicit drug trafficking, expanding access to treatment and rehabilitation and protecting the wellbeing of Nigerians as key stakeholders gathered in Abuja for the 2026 National Drug Use Summit aimed at strengthening the country's response to substance abuse. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the summit provides a strategic platform for government institutions, development partners, civil society, health professionals and security agencies to develop a coordinated National Action Plan capable of addressing the growing challenge of illicit drug use and trafficking across Nigeria. The summit, themed "Addressing ...

NDLEA FOILS INTERNATIONAL DRUG SMUGGLING OPERATIONS, ARRESTS UK-BASED GRANDMOTHER, MALAYSIA- LINKED KINGPIN  By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded another major breakthrough in its nationwide offensive against illicit drug trafficking with the arrest of a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother caught attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside fake plantain peels, while also dismantling a Malaysia-bound cocaine syndicate led by a Nigerian PhD student. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency said the operations highlight the growing sophistication of international drug trafficking networks and reaffirm the commitment of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), to disrupting criminal syndicates through intelligence-driven enforcement while sustaining the Agency's War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign ...

NDLEA ALERTS PUBLIC TO FAKE AUCTION OFFERS IMPERSONATING OFFICIALS  By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has warned Nigerians against a fraudulent scheme involving scammers impersonating top officials to sell “cheap forfeited vehicles” on auction. The fraudsters are using the name of the Agency’s Secretary, Barrister Shadrach Haruna, in fake private letters and messages to lure unsuspecting members of the public. NDLEA said the offers are a complete scam designed to defraud people of their money and stressed that no official has the mandate to privately offer, allocate or sell seized or forfeited assets to individuals. The Agency clarified that vehicles and other assets forfeited as proceeds of drug crimes are auctioned only through public processes handled by government-registered auctioneers. Any legitimate auction is widely publicized in national newspapers and on NDLEA’s official communication channels, in line with legal and publ...

MARWA HAILS CUSTOMS PARTNERSHIP AS NDLEA SEIZES 6,778.5kg CANNABIS SHIPMENT AT LAGOS PORT  By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has formally taken custody of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, in one of Nigeria's largest maritime drug seizures, reinforcing the country's expanding campaign against transnational narcotics trafficking. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency said the handover ceremony was held at the Apapa Port, Lagos, where the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the seizure as a landmark achievement made possible through intelligence-led operations and sustained collaboration between the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and international partners. The recovered cannabis was intercepted during the joint exami...

NDLEA INTERCEPTS N12.3BN CANNABIS SHIPMENT, ARRESTS CHINA -BOUND BUSINESSWOMAN WITH COCAINE  By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded another major breakthrough in its' nationwide offensive against drug trafficking with the arrest of a businesswoman attempting to smuggle cocaine to China, the seizure of illicit drugs worth over N12.3 billion at the Lagos Port and the dismantling of a criminal syndicate that secretly plants drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting interstate passengers. In a statement released by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the agency said the operations underscore the determination of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), to intensify intelligence-driven enforcement while strengthening efforts to dismantle local and transnational drug trafficking networks operating across Nigeria. One of the major arrests involved 38-year-old Iwebema Ogechi ...

NDLEA CHARTS NEW COURSE IN NIGERIA'S DRUG WAR By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) used this year's World Drug Day to project a message that extended beyond arrests and seizures, placing innovation, collaboration and prevention at the centre of Nigeria's response to the evolving drug menace. At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command, the event gathered security agencies, civil society organisations, partners and the media around the global theme, The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses. Representing the Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), Strategic Commander Ahmed Mohammed Tukur described the occasion as a renewed commitment to safeguarding communities from substance abuse and illicit trafficking. He noted that as traffickers adopt increasingly sophisticated methods, the agency continues to strengthen its' intellige...

NDLEA TARGETS SCHOOL DRUG SUPPLY NETWORK, NABS WANTED COUPLE ,GRANDPAS; SEIZES LARGE DRUG HAULS ACROSS STATES  By Jennifer Nwosu  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its'  nationwide offensive against drug trafficking networks, arresting two elderly men accused of supplying illicit substances to secondary school students in Abia State, while also intercepting dangerous drug consignments from China and dismantling trafficking operations across several states. In a statement released by the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved in the operations and reiterated the agency’s determination to sustain pressure on drug traffickers while strengthening preventive campaigns through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. One of the suspects, 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora, was arrested in Umu...