Date: September 20, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
ABUJA — Operatives of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 49-year-old man accused of impersonating a senior police officer while transporting 292.48 kilograms of cannabis in Delta State.
The suspect, identified as Innocent Ekpe, was arrested alongside an alleged accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, on Wednesday, September 16, along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, according to the NDLEA.
The agency said Ekpe allegedly presented himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and used a forged police identification card to avoid scrutiny at security checkpoints while moving illicit drug consignments across state lines.
NDLEA operatives reportedly intercepted the suspects while they were travelling in a silver Toyota Sienna bus. A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of 292.48 kilograms of skunk, a form of cannabis, according to the agency.
The arrest was part of a wider series of NDLEA operations conducted across several Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory between September 15 and 18. The agency said the operations resulted in the seizure of more than 1.3 million tablets and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, alongside approximately 6,000 kilograms of cannabis and other controlled substances. The NDLEA put the combined street value of the seized drugs at more than ₦3.4 billion.
One of the largest seizures was made at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, where NDLEA operatives intercepted 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75 kilograms. The agency valued the consignment at approximately ₦1.811 billion.
According to the NDLEA, the shipment arrived from Montreal, Canada, on September 12 in a 40-foot container. A joint physical examination involving the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies was conducted on September 16, leading to the discovery of the cannabis. Investigators said the parcels had been concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles within the container.
In Edo State, the agency also arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai at an automobile repair workshop along Agbor Road in Benin City. NDLEA officials alleged that the workshop was being used as a cover for storing illicit drugs. Officers reportedly recovered 48 kilograms of Canadian Loud, 152 grams of methamphetamine and a metal box from the location.
Other operations resulted in the seizure of more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, along with codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets. The substances were allegedly being transported from Onitsha in Anambra State toward Mararaba in Nasarawa State when two suspects were arrested along the Abaji-Abuja Highway.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers arrested Onyeka Ofor at a residence in Aguda, Surulere, where 48,900 pills of tramadol were reportedly recovered. The agency also intercepted 59 kilograms of cannabis at a logistics company and arrested a suspect identified as Luke Ugokwe.
Another Lagos operation resulted in the arrest of 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu at Apongbo, where officers reportedly recovered 998.38 kilograms of nitrous oxide. In Gombe State, 154,480 tramadol capsules were recovered in separate operations involving suspects Sabi’u Umar and Hassana Muhammad.
The NDLEA also reported operations against cannabis cultivation. In Ondo State, officers raided a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu Forest and arrested four suspects. The agency said approximately 5,000 kilograms of cannabis were destroyed at the site, while another 48 kilograms of dried and fresh cannabis were recovered.
In Imo State, officers arrested 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85 kilograms of skunk, according to the agency. In Niger State, separate operations also led to the arrest of three young suspects who were allegedly found carrying firearms during a patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
The NDLEA said the arrests and seizures form part of its broader efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks involved in international importation, interstate transportation, local storage and cannabis cultivation.
The agency has also continued its War Against Drug Abuse campaign, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools, workplaces, religious institutions and communities in different parts of the country. Officials say the combination of enforcement and public education is intended to address both drug trafficking and drug abuse.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel involved in the operations across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the Federal Capital Territory. He urged officers to maintain what the agency described as a balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement with prevention and public awareness.
The allegations against Ekpe and the other suspects remain allegations unless established through the appropriate legal process. The NDLEA has not indicated in the reports that the suspects have been convicted.
The latest arrests nevertheless highlight the methods investigators say drug traffickers are using to move controlled substances through Nigeria, including the alleged use of false identities to avoid security checks. The NDLEA said investigations into the suspects and the wider drug networks connected to the seized consignments are continuing.