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NDLEA Intercepts ‘Terror Drug’ Captagon, Arrests Multiple Suspects
NDLEA intercepts terror drug ‘captagon’ in Kwara as bizman excretes 45 cocaine wraps
Barely five years after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recorded the first seizure of the deadly terror drug, Captagon, in Africa at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, operatives of the Agency have again intercepted a consignment of the amphetamine substance in Kwara state.
Captagon, a tiny, highly addictive pill, widely available across the Middle East, produces a euphoric intensity in users, allowing them to stay awake for days, making them fearless, and predisposes them to reckless action that puts the lives of people around them in jeopardy.
Its production and sale are controlled by militias and large criminal groups linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as a means of generating funds for weapons and combatants, and for use as a stimulant to keep them fighting.
The latest seizure of captagon, which street value costs as much as $25 a pill, was made on Tuesday 21st April 2026 when NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu road, Kwara state intercepted a trailer conveying passengers. A search conducted on one of the passengers, 33-year-old Nasiru Mu’azu led to the recovery of 10 packs of captagon consisting of 10,000 pills and nine packets of Tapentadol 250mg.
In another interdiction operation at the Bode Saadu patrol point, NDLEA officers on Friday 24th April intercepted a trailer marked RMY-70XA. A search of the truck led to the recovery of 155,900 capsules of tramadol; 6,000 ampuoles of tramadol injection; 3,000 tablets of Co- Codamol and 9,000 tablets of Bromazepam, concealed in a false compartment constructed under the trailer. A 24-year-old suspect Aminu Isah has been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Oyo state on Tuesday 21st April intercepted a commercial bus with registration number MNA 963 ZY, at Akinyele along Ibadan/Oyo expressway, while en route Sokoto. A 33-year-old passenger Eze Prince Emeka was brought down from the vehicle and taken for body scan, which result confirmed ingestion of illicit drug.
The suspect who claims to be a businessman in Sokoto was subsequently placed under close excretion observation during which he excreted a total of forty-five (45) pellets of cocaine with a total weight of 1.043 kilograms in three excretions.
The decision to travel by road to Sokoto with the illicit drug in his stomach was to evade detection by NDLEA at the airport while further investigation reveals that upon arrival in Sokoto, the suspect was to excrete the pellets, rest for a few days, and subsequently re-ingest the substances to continue the journey through the trans-Saharan routes, with Algeria as a transit point and possible final destination in Europe.
In Edo state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Benin/Lagos expressway on Saturday 25th April intercepted a truck marked NLC 146 FC conveying 1, 196,000 pills of pharmaceutical opioids, among others. Two suspects: Osagie Igbinibo, 43, and Omijie Malik, 44, were apprehended in connection with the seizure of the consignments heading to Onitsha, Anambra state.
While a suspect Rasheed Ibuowo, 40, was arrested at Mile 2 expressway in Lagos on Saturday 25th April conveying 810 kilograms of Arizona, a strain of cannabis, another suspect Muktar Bello, 35, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 22nd April at Misau road, Azare/Katagun LGA, Bauchi state with 288 blocks of skunk weighing 154.5kg.
In Ekiti state, a total of 466.8 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the house of a suspect Layit John Matthew, 56, at Ilaro street, Isinbode-Ekiti, from where he planned to transport them to Yola, Adamawa state while 20,000 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance were destroyed on eight hectares of farmland in Uyanga community, Akamkpa LGA, Cross River state on Saturday 25th April when NDLEA officers supported by soldiers raided the community and recovered 170kg of processed cannabis.
Three Hundred and Ninety-Four (394) pieces of IED components were seized from a suspect Mohammed Aliyu, 26, by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kontagora/Zuru road, Niger state on Wednesday 22nd April. He was conveying the IED materials in a red Toyota car with registration number KNT 617 AE to Shadadi, Mariga LGA. The suspect and exhibit are to be transferred to the relevant security Agency for further investigation.
With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Mallam Salisu Islamic School, Paiko, Niger state; Madarasatul Abdulrahman Bin Auf Litahafizul Quran, Durusul Islamiyah Badawa, Nasarawa LGA, Kano; Sani Zango Daura Model Primary School, Zango, Katsina; and members of community development associations, Badagry LGA Lagos while the Zonal Commander, Zone 4 Command of NDLEA, ACGN Bridget Viashiama led other senior officers of the Zone on a WADA advocacy visit to Nasarawa state governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, among others.
While commending the officers and men of Kwara, Oyo, Edo, Cross River, Bauchi, Ekiti, Niger and Lagos Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the current tempo.
He commended the tactical precision of NDLEA operatives following the interception of 10,000 pills of Captagon in Kwara State, noting that the bust is a major blow to drug syndicates attempting to revive a pipeline that has been largely dormant since the landmark seizure at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos five years ago.
Marwa described the seizure as a wake-up call, noting that Captagon, a potent amphetamine often linked to insurgent groups for its ability to inhibit fear and fatigue, remains a target for traffickers looking to fuel insecurity.
“We are not just seizing pills; we are disrupting the fuel that powers violence in our communities. Our operatives remain on high alert across all frontiers to ensure this illicit trade finds no foothold”, he stated.
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The Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Omolola Oloworaran, has outlined a series of new pension reforms and welfare initiatives aimed at improving retirement outcomes for federal civil servants.
Speaking at a press conference convened by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, in Abuja yesterday, Oloworaran described the recently approved exit benefits as a significant step toward ensuring a more structured and dignified transition into retirement for public servants.
She emphasised that the new measures are designed to strengthen the pension system while addressing longstanding challenges faced by retirees. According to her, the reforms will enhance financial security and promote better post-service living conditions.
The PenCom DG also highlighted the ongoing one-off enrolment exercise, which is expected to improve the efficiency of accrued pension rights payments. The initiative aims to streamline processes and enable retirees to access their benefits more quickly and seamlessly.
In addition, Oloworaran unveiled new retiree-focused programs, including the PenCare Health Initiative. The scheme, a corporate social responsibility effort by the pension industry, is designed to provide healthcare access to low-income retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme. Through a structured health insurance arrangement, the initiative seeks to improve access to affordable and quality healthcare in retirement.
She further disclosed plans for the implementation of the Minimum Pension Guarantee (MPG), describing it as a landmark policy that will ensure pensioners receive a guaranteed minimum income. The initiative is expected to address the issue of low pensions and strengthen Nigeria’s social protection framework.
Oloworaran also commended the Federal Government for releasing funds to clear outstanding pension liabilities, noting that the move underscores the administration’s commitment to the welfare, dignity, and financial security of Nigerian workers in retirement.
The latest developments signal a renewed push by stakeholders to reform Nigeria’s pension system and improve the overall well-being of retirees.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in Friday approved an upward review of welfare and incentive packages for civil servants, in a move aimed at improving staff motivation and enhancing earnings both in active service and after retirement.
According to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, measures, which received the backing of the Federal Executive Council, will cover employees under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) and the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS).
Walson-Jack, added that the updated special allowances will cut across all grade levels, ensuring that both junior and senior personnel benefit from the initiative. She added that nearly all entitlements captured in the Public Service Rules have been adjusted, including duty tour allowances, estacode, and book grants.
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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commended the Edo government for its approach in safeguarding telecom infrastructure during road construction.
The NCC said that contractors notified the commission and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) before commencing road construction works.
The Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC), NCC, Dr Amimu Maida, who gave the commendation during a media breakfast meeting on Friday in Abuja, also urged other states to emulate Edo in reducing fibre cuts during construction.
“I would commend a particular state, Edo, its approach the matter.
“I will like to appreciate the state’s authorities in the way they have handled that collaboration in a very simple but effective manner.
“Their contractors, prior to starting any work, send out letters to the commission to inform all the telco service providers who own infrastructure to basically give them notice of work.
“That simple action has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of incidences that occur due to construction activities. So it is a model now that we are encouraging other states to adopt.”
On the quality of service that Nigerians are getting from service providers, Maida said that the commission was beginning to see positive signals through independent crowd-sourced data.
He, h, said that more work needed to be done.
“We are still not where we want to be, but we are beginning to see the right signals.
“The quality of experience is improving rather than services degrading, but at the same time, we are seeing a rise in consumption.
“We are still not where we want to be, but are we satisfied as a regulator? I think the area of satisfaction is the fact that we are beginning to see the right signals.”
The EVC said that operators upgraded about 2,800 sites last year across the three major operators, MTN, Airtel and Globacom, covering new sites, technology upgrades from 2G and 3G to 4G and 5G, and fibre additions.
He said operators had now committed to about 12,000 additional site upgrades and deployments this year.
“These numbers in terms of the work done also support this. Last year we saw just under 3,000 sites being upgraded and introduced for coverage and capacity.
“But this year they have committed to upgrading and introducing sites, which in total are about 12,000.
“This is across the three major operators, Airtel, Globalcom, and MTM. And this is a combination of new sites which have been upgraded from slower technologies, 2G, 3G, to 4G and 5G.”
On consumer protection, Maida said the NCC recently introduced a compensation directive for subscribers affected by poor service delivery.
He said the move was aimed at ensuring that consumers directly benefited, rather than government alone collecting financial penalties from defaulting operators.
“This is something that is going to be ongoing for those operators that are not showing commitment towards improving and addressing these issues,” he said.
He said that tower companies were also included in the directive, and are required to make additional investments in power and security infrastructure to support better service delivery.
In her remarks, the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), Rimini Makama, said that the quarterly engagement was organised to enable the media to properly inform the public.
“This quarterly interaction is being held precisely because we believe that a well-informed press produces a well informed public.
“A well informed public is one of the strongest tools we have for driving real progress in the telecom sector,” she said.
Earlier, the Director Public Affairs, NCC, Nnena Ukoha, said that the commission looked forward to frank, constructive conversations on telecom trends.
“It is my expectation that we will constructively utilise this platform for open and frank conversations, sharing insights on the emerging trends in the telecommunications industry.”
NAN
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