The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered and dismantled a Colorado synthetic cannabis laboratory in Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of a nationwide crackdown that also led to major drug seizures and arrests across multiple states.
The operation was confirmed in a statement issued Sunday in Abuja by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy.
According to the agency, operatives raided the illegal facility in Badeku, Ibadan, on Saturday, February 7, 2026, arresting a suspected drug kingpin and an accomplice.
Items seized at the Ibadan lab included:
- Eight litres of precursor chemicals used for synthetic cannabis production
- 14 grammes of skunk
- Colorado drug-making equipment
- ₦7.4 million in cash
- A Mercedes-Benz SUV and Toyota Highlander, believed to be proceeds of drug trafficking
Beyond Oyo State, NDLEA recorded significant interceptions nationwide:
- Kwara State: 395,400 capsules of tramadol hidden in a petrol tanker travelling from Lagos to Maiduguri; driver arrested
- Imo State: Husband and wife arrested with 203kg of skunk
- Ondo State: 420kg of skunk recovered
- Lagos (Badagry waterways): 31 wraps of cocaine seized from a passenger arriving from Côte d’Ivoire
- Lagos Island: Suspect arrested with 3.6kg of Canadian Loud and Colorado
- Enugu State: Dealer arrested with skunk, methamphetamine, cocaine, molly, and ₦457,700 in cash
The agency said the seizures reflect intensified intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling drug labs, trafficking routes, and cross-border syndicates.
Between January and August 2025 alone, the NDLEA Oyo State Command arrested 280 suspects and secured 43 convictions, according to the state commander, Olayinka Joe-Fadile.
NDLEA has also raised concerns about Nigeria’s growing exposure to regional and international drug trafficking networks, noting that proceeds from the drug trade increasingly fuel other criminal activities, threatening public health, economic stability, and national security.
