National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker carrying 2,145 kilogrammes (2.1 tonnes) of cannabis concealed in a specially designed compartment in Ondo State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the tanker was intercepted on Friday, September 4, along the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway after its driver allegedly refused to stop when flagged down by NDLEA operatives. The driver later abandoned the vehicle at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and reportedly fled into the bush.
A search of the tanker, marked MKA 960 XC, uncovered a false compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis, hidden alongside its legitimate fuel cargo. The fuel was reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the tanker had allegedly become notorious for evading arrest during previous operations. The agency described the discovery as one of the major seizures recorded during its latest nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking.
The interception was part of coordinated NDLEA operations across nine states — Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu. The operations also led to the recovery of large quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine, cannabis and other controlled substances.
In Lagos, the agency recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at more than N1.1 billion, while another 57.8kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, was seized from a shipment from Singapore. NDLEA also intercepted 598.08kg of cannabis-laced cookies and gummies at Tin Can Port.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the operatives and said traffickers using sophisticated methods to conceal illicit drugs would continue to be tracked down.
