The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 10,000 pills of the highly addictive amphetamine known as Captagon in Kwara State
In a statement by the agency, the seizure comes nearly five years after the first recorded interception of Captagon in Africa at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
Captagon, widely abused across the Middle East, is known for inducing prolonged alertness and euphoria in users, often pushing them toward reckless and dangerous behaviour. The drug has also been linked to funding activities of militant groups, including the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
According to the agency, the latest seizure was made on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, along Bode Saadu Road in Kwara State.
NDLEA operatives on patrol intercepted a passenger in a commercial trailer, identified as 33-year-old Nasiru Mu’azu, during a routine search.
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,” the statement said.
The agency in Oyo State intercepted a commercial bus along the Ibadan–Oyo expressway at Akinyele on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, while it was en route to Sokoto.
A 33-year-old passenger, identified as Eze Prince Emeka, was subjected to a body scan, which confirmed ingestion of illicit drugs
According to the agency, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect opted to travel by road to evade detection at airport screening points. He was expected to excrete the pellets upon arrival in Sokoto, rest for a few days, and then re-ingest the substances for onward trafficking through trans-Saharan routes.
The route was said to include Algeria as a transit point, with the final destination believed to be in Europe.
Further operations across the country led to multiple seizures and arrests.
In Niger State, officers intercepted 394 components of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from a suspect, Mohammed Aliyu, who was transporting the materials to Mariga LGA. The suspect and recovered items have been handed over to the relevant security agencies for further investigation.
NDLEA continues to make significant drug interceptions in Nigeria, uncovering large quantities of narcotics concealed on passengers or in luggage
The agency intercepted two suspected traffickers at Lagos and Port Harcourt airports who had ingested a total of 125 wraps of heroin during attempted smuggling operations.
In October 2024, NDLEA operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport stopped two businessmen and a Canada‑based nurse for cocaine and cannabis trafficking.