The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday publicly destroyed 329,865.585 kilogrammes of assorted narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in Lagos, with the agency's chairman putting the total street value at N301.058 billion.
NDLEA Chairman Oversees Destruction Exercise
Buba Marwa, chairman and chief executive officer of the NDLEA, personally oversaw the exercise and said the consignment represented drugs permanently removed from circulation following concluded cases and abandoned seizures.
"That is over N301 billion that will never find its way into the pockets of drug barons or into the ruining of a single Nigerian home," Marwa said.
Breakdown of Seized Drugs by Command
Of the total weight destroyed, 246,864.535 kilogrammes were seized by the NDLEA Lagos Strategic Command between April 2025 and May 2026. The remaining 83,001.05 kilogrammes were attributed to the agency's Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Tincan, Apapa, Marine, and Central Intelligence and Investigation Team (CITF) commands, all operating within Lagos.
The drugs destroyed included cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, multiple strains of cannabis, particularly Canadian Loud and skunk, ephedrine, tramadol, codeine syrup, other opioids, and khat leaves.
Impact Beyond Monetary Value
The retired brigadier general said the significance of Monday's destruction extended far beyond its monetary worth. He linked each kilogramme of narcotics to tangible human harm, including addiction, broken families, crime, and road accidents.
"For us at the NDLEA, behind every kilogramme of these drugs lies a tragic story: a young person whose future may have been destroyed, a family torn apart by addiction, communities terrorised by drug-induced crimes, and road crashes caused by impaired drivers," Marwa said.
The destruction exercise marks a significant step in the agency's ongoing efforts to curb drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria, removing a massive quantity of illicit substances from the streets.
