Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, alongside about 6,000kg of cannabis, in coordinated operations across seven states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The agency said the seizures, recorded in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe and Imo states, as well as the FCT, had a combined street value of over N3.4 billion.

A major breakthrough was the seizure of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion.

The consignment was discovered at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos inside a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada.

The seizure followed a joint examination by NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on September 16.

The cannabis was concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container.

In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 49-year-old suspected trafficker, Innocent Ekpe, who allegedly impersonated a senior police officer while transporting illicit drugs.

He was arrested along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in his Toyota Sienna bus.

A 39-year-old alleged accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.

The agency said preliminary investigation showed that Ekpe allegedly presented himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged police identification card.

In Edo State, operatives arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai at an auto-repair workshop along Agbor Road, Benin City, where he allegedly stored illicit drugs.

Recovered from the premises were 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152 grammes of methamphetamine and a metal box allegedly used for storing the substances.

NDLEA operatives also arrested two suspects, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, along the Abaji-Abuja Highway, where more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets were allegedly recovered.

The drugs were said to have been concealed in eight sacks being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

In Lagos, Onyeka Ofor was arrested at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg, while 59kg of cannabis sativa was intercepted at a logistics company, leading to the arrest of a suspect identified as Luke Ugokwe.

Another suspect, Ibrahim Hudu, 43, was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.

In Gombe State, 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, who were arrested separately at the Barunde area and Gombe Main Market.

In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk.

Meanwhile, four suspects; Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday, were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu Forest, Ondo State.

The NDLEA said 5,000kg of skunk was destroyed during the operation, while 48kg of dried and fresh cannabis was recovered.

In Niger State, three suspects; Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18, were arrested along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a magazine, a locally made pistol, another magazine and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Commenting on the operations, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the various commands for what he described as professional and intelligence-driven operations.

He urged them to sustain the agency's balanced approach to drug control.