The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized a 40-foot container containing cannabis indica valued at over ₦4.7bn at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

The operation, carried out on 28 January 2026, also uncovered a firearm concealed inside the shipment.

One suspect has been arrested, while investigations are ongoing.

What was found inside the container

Customs officials said the container, identified as HLXU841299/0, was subjected to an intensive physical examination.

The inspection was conducted jointly by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Inside the container, officers discovered 55 jumbo bags of cannabis indica, comprising 2,366 packages with a combined weight of 1,183 kilograms.

Authorities estimate the street value of the drugs at ₦4,732,000,000.

A Colt’s MK IV / Series 70 .45 automatic pistol, with one empty magazine, was also recovered.

How the drugs were concealed

Customs said smugglers attempted to hide the illicit items inside used vehicles loaded into the container.

The vehicles included:

A used Hyundai Santa Fe

A used Toyota Sienna

A used Toyota Matrix

Officials say this method of concealment reflects evolving smuggling tactics at Nigeria’s ports.

What Customs is saying

Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Port, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, said the seizure highlights the Service’s renewed vigilance.

He said the operation aligns with the theme of the World Customs Organization (WCO) 2026 International Customs Day, “Customs Protecting Society through Vigilance and Commitment.”

“Today we gather to inform you about the recent development in our operations to secure our nation’s borders and ensure public safety,” he said.

He added that the Service would not tolerate drug smuggling or transnational crime.

NDLEA to take over prosecution

Customs confirmed that the seized narcotics will be formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution.

The recovered firearm will also be transferred to the appropriate security agency.

Officials say this inter-agency process ensures swift legal action under existing laws.

Why it matters

Nigeria remains a major transit route for illicit drugs, raising concerns about public health, crime, and national security.

Large-scale seizures like this disrupt criminal networks and prevent dangerous substances from reaching communities.

What’s next

Customs says investigations will continue to identify other members of the smuggling network.

The Service also promised sustained surveillance at all ports of entry.

According to the Tin Can Island Command, officers remain on high alert to prevent similar attempts.

Customs leadership and inter-agency collaboration

The Tin Can Island Command commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, PhD, MFR, for what it described as consistent leadership and strategic support.

Officials say inter-agency cooperation has significantly improved intelligence-led operations at Nigeria’s ports.

Nigeria’s drug control agency is calling for urgent nationwide support for a new farming-based strategy aimed at reducing illicit cannabis cultivation, strengthening rural economies and improving national security.

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), made the call in Abuja on Tuesday, following the launch of Africa’s first alternative development pilot scheme in Ondo State.

The programme, introduced last week in three communities — Ilu Abo, Ifon and Eleyewo — seeks to replace illegal cannabis farming with lawful, sustainable agricultural livelihoods.

Why it matters

Nigeria remains one of the countries most affected by illicit cannabis cultivation and use, with deep links to insecurity, youth unemployment and public health challenges.

According to Marwa, the scale of the problem has forced authorities to rethink a purely law-enforcement approach to drug control.

“The evidence-based comprehensive data on drug use in Nigeria exposes a bleak and deeply troubling reality,” he said.

Beyond crop substitution

Explaining the strategy, the NDLEA boss said alternative development goes beyond simply replacing cannabis with other crops.

“Its wider benefits include: strengthening rural economies through value-chain development; reducing the burden on law enforcement and the justice system; promoting peace and social cohesion in previously crime-prone areas; supporting national food production and agricultural diversification; improving Nigeria’s international standing in global drug control and development cooperation.”

Marwa described the initiative as a “win-win solution” for communities, government and national security.

Pilot scheme shows early promise

The NDLEA chairman said the Ondo pilot had already gained strong acceptance among local farmers and traditional leaders.

“One of the most encouraging outcomes of this pilot project has been the overwhelming acceptance and support expressed by the host communities and their traditional and community leaders,” he said.

According to him, community leaders believe the programme offers a lawful source of income, reduces rural poverty and improves food security.

The scale of Nigeria’s cannabis challenge

Marwa cited the 2018 National Drug Use Survey by the National Bureau of Statistics and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which found that 14.4% of Nigerians aged 15–64, about 14.3 million people  used psychoactive substances in one year.

“Cannabis stands starkly at the centre of this crisis,” he said.

He added that 10.6 million adults reported cannabis use, making it the most widely consumed illicit drug in the country.

Field assessments in the South West alone show nearly 8,900 hectares of land under cannabis cultivation, often linked to organised criminal networks.

Public health and security concerns

Marwa warned that cannabis use often begins in adolescence, with long-term consequences for productivity, healthcare and crime rates.

“Out of a total of 15 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs seized by NDLEA in the past five years, over 75 percent of them are cannabis,” he said.

“Just imagine the harm that quantity would have done to our youths, public health and national security.”

Call for national action

The NDLEA chairman urged all levels of government, traditional rulers, donor agencies, the private sector, civil society and the media to support the programme.

“We therefore call for a strong national response and sustained support from all stakeholders across all layers of government,” he said.

He also appealed directly to communities involved in illicit cultivation to work with authorities.

“The alternative development programme is not just a drug control initiative; it is a people-centred development intervention designed to uplift communities, strengthen national security, and secure Nigeria’s future.”

Government and international backing

Marwa said the agency plans to expand the programme nationwide in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He praised the support of international partners, including UNODC, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and development agencies from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security were also represented at the launch.

What’s next

The NDLEA says the success of the Ondo pilot could shape Nigeria’s future drug control policy, shifting focus from arrests to sustainable rural development.

Expansion to other high-risk regions is expected, subject to funding and inter-agency collaboration.

Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman at Lagos airport for allegedly smuggling cocaine concealed in his private parts and footwear.

The suspect, identified as Uche Franklin Onyekwere, was arrested at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on 29 January 2026, following what the agency described as “processed intelligence”.

NDLEA officials said the 47-year-old was travelling on a South African Airways flight from Brazil via Johannesburg when he was flagged for further screening.

A full body scan later confirmed the presence of illicit drugs.

How the drugs were concealed

According to the agency, officers conducted a strip search after the scan revealed abnormalities.

“A large parcel of white powdery substance, later confirmed to be cocaine, was found wrapped around his right thigh,” the NDLEA said.

“Two additional wraps of the same substance were discovered concealed in the soles of a pair of flat shoes worn by the suspect.”

In total, 1.60 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from the suspect’s body and footwear.

Suspect’s account

During preliminary questioning, Mr Onyekwere reportedly told investigators that he bought the cocaine in Brazil to resell it in Nigeria.

He said the proceeds were intended to boost his toy business and help finance the naming ceremony of his newborn child.

The suspect, who resides in São Paulo, claimed he has lived in Brazil since 2008 and has operated a toy business for nine years.

Why it matters

Drug trafficking remains a major security and public health concern in Nigeria, with authorities warning that transnational drug networks are increasingly using commercial travel and cargo routes.

The NDLEA says recent seizures highlight the evolving tactics of traffickers and the scale of drug circulation within and across Nigeria’s borders.

Nearly 10 tonnes of drugs seized nationwide

Beyond the airport arrest, the NDLEA reported multiple large-scale seizures across the country in the same week.

At the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, officers uncovered 1,183 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden inside two vehicles shipped from Montreal, Canada.

The vehicles, a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix, were concealed inside a container and discovered during a joint inspection involving NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies.

Major busts in Niger, Edo, Anambra and Ondo

In Niger State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck along the Dei-Dei–Abuja Expressway, arresting three suspects with 2,735 kilograms of skunk and one kilogram of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis.

Investigators said the truck had initially transported bags of flour from Lagos to Edo State before being reloaded with drugs for a fee of ₦1.7 million.

In Edo State, officers seized more than 4,000 kilograms of skunk from a cannabis farm spanning over 1.6 hectares, while additional arrests were made along major highways.

In Anambra, a cement truck was stopped in Onitsha, where 345 kilograms of skunk were found hidden beneath bags of cement.

Meanwhile, in Ondo State, two suspects were arrested in Akure North in connection with 473 kilograms of cannabis.

Kano opioid seizures raise health concerns

In Kano State, NDLEA officers recovered 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection, an opioid increasingly abused by young Nigerians.

Another suspect was arrested with 4,390 pills of tramadol, a controlled painkiller linked to addiction and organised crime.

NDLEA’s response

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised officers involved in the operations across Lagos, Niger, Edo, Anambra, Ondo and Kano.

He urged personnel nationwide “to continue the current balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts”.

What’s next

The NDLEA says investigations are ongoing and suspects will be charged to court.

The agency also confirmed it has intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres and communities across several states.