Jelili Gbadamosi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lekki Free Trade Zone Command, has handed over 400 kilogrammes of suspected cannabis worth ₦2.26 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following its interception at the port.
The seizure, which involved 400 packages of suspected cannabis concealed in 798 reams of A4 printing paper, was made on August 19, 2026, after officers intercepted a suspicious container marked PRSU1562064.
The Acting Customs Area Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Olufemi Kukoyi, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos.
Kukoyi said enforcement officers subjected the container to a joint examination after identifying potential security risks associated with the shipment.
According to him, the seized substance had a Duty Paid Value of ₦2,262,960,000.
He described the interception as a major achievement in efforts to prevent prohibited goods from entering the country, stressing that the port would not be allowed to serve as a channel for illicit trade.
Following established procedures, the Customs Service formally transferred the seized substance to the NDLEA for further action.
Receiving the consignment, the Commander of Narcotics at the NDLEA Lekki Port Area Command, Commander Jonah Achema, said the operation demonstrated the agencies’ determination to strengthen collaboration against maritime drug trafficking.
Achema described the seizure as significant, adding that it followed other major interceptions at the port, including two containers of pharmaceutical opioids identified as Tramadol 225 and Tramaking Royal 250.
He said the opioid consignments weighed a combined 46 tonnes and had an estimated street value of ₦35 billion.
The NDLEA commander warned that the latest interception should serve as a warning to drug traffickers, adding that the agency was committed to intensifying its operations against narcotics smuggling.
The handover underscores ongoing cooperation between the Customs Service and the NDLEA to curb the movement of illicit drugs through Nigeria’s maritime entry points.
