NDLEA busts Colorado cannabis lab in Ibadan, makes major drug seizures nationwide
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide offensive against illicit drug production and trafficking with the dismantling of a synthetic cannabis (Colorado) laboratory in Ibadan, Oyo State, and multiple high-profile seizures across the country.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed that operatives uncovered the illegal facility in Badeku, Ibadan, and arrested the principal suspect alongside an accomplice on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
According to NDLEA, officers recovered eight litres of precursor chemicals used in producing synthetic cannabis, 14 grammes of skunk and various Colorado production equipment from the site. Also seized were N7.4 million in cash and two vehicles — a Mercedes-Benz SUV and a Toyota Highlander — suspected to be proceeds of drug trafficking.
Beyond Oyo State, the agency recorded significant interceptions nationwide. In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a petrol tanker travelling from Lagos to Maiduguri and uncovered 395,400 capsules of tramadol concealed in the vehicle, leading to the arrest of the driver.
In the South-East, a husband and wife were arrested in Imo State with 203 kilograms of skunk, while 420 kilograms of the same substance was recovered during a separate operation in Ondo State, reflecting what the agency described as growing attempts by traffickers to move large volumes of cannabis across regional routes.
In Lagos, NDLEA’s Marine Command seized 31 wraps of cocaine concealed in a handbag at Yekeme, Badagry. The suspect reportedly arrived from Côte d’Ivoire by passenger boat, highlighting the continued use of waterways for cross-border drug smuggling.
Further operations in the state led to the arrest of a suspect on February 4 at Lagos Island with 3.6 kilograms of Canadian Loud and Colorado, while in Enugu State, operatives arrested a dealer in Asata, Ezeagu, recovering quantities of skunk, methamphetamine, cocaine, molly and N457,700 in cash.
The agency said the Ibadan laboratory bust adds to a sustained surge in enforcement activities in Oyo State and beyond. Between January and August 2025, the NDLEA Oyo State Command arrested 280 suspects and secured 43 convictions for drug-related offences, according to the state commander, Olayinka Joe-Fadile.
He said the arrests cut across traffickers, street-level dealers and drug users, noting that enforcement efforts had been scaled up in response to rising drug abuse and organised trafficking networks.
NDLEA also reiterated concerns over cross-border trafficking, recalling the January 2026 arrest of a 37-year-old businessman, Ani Onyebuchi Romans, who attempted to smuggle 5.3 kilograms of tramadol to Cameroon concealed inside full-body mannequins — a case that underscored the increasingly sophisticated methods used by traffickers.
The agency said it will continue to expand intelligence-led operations targeting local drug labs and international trafficking syndicates, warning that proceeds from the illicit drug trade increasingly fund other criminal activities, posing broader risks to public health, economic stability and national security.
