No fewer than 230 suspects are in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Kano following a successful crackdown on peddlers of illicit substances across hot spots.
The major breakthrough in the fight against drug abuse and related criminal activities also led to the seizure of large quantities of illicit substances and weapons during a 30-day intensive operation.
Briefing journalists on Friday, Commander, NDLEA Kano Strategic Command, Abubakar Idris Ahmad, disclosed that the operations were executed in collaboration with sister agencies.
The sister agencies, according to the Narcotic chief, include Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), and the Department of State Services (DSS), under the Kano State Joint Taskforce for Peace Restoration and Youth Rehabilitation.
According to Ahmad, the month-long, non-stop raid focused on notorious drug hubs such as Kofar Ruwa, Tashar Rami, Rijiyar Lemo, Kurna, Zage, Dorayi Karshen Waya, Dawanau, Filin Idi, Rimi Market, Zango, Kano Line, Kofar Mata, and other identified hotspots.
Confiscated items included cannabis sativa, EXOL-5, diazepam, “suck and die,” rubber solution, and codeine syrup, alongside several locally made weapons.
Ahmad noted that the crackdown has already reduced drug misuse and related crimes including phone snatching, thuggery, and other social vices across Kano State communities. He attributed the success to improved coordination among security agencies.
He commended the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, for strengthening inter-agency unity, and praised the DSS for its surveillance support.
He also acknowledged the backing of the Kano State Government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, whose initiatives, he said, have reinforced the state’s anti-drug and youth rehabilitation efforts.
The NDLEA commander further applauded the professionalism of all officers involved and urged residents, parents, civil society groups, and community leaders to continue supporting the fight against drug abuse.
Cocaine Seizure in Lagos
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the detention of a vessel and its crew following the interception of a cocaine shipment at Apapa seaport. The vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, marked 9760110, arrived from Santos in Brazil and was found to have 20 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed beneath its cargo.
The NDLEA confirmed that the discovery was made on Sunday, 16 November 2025. The Master of the ship, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 crew members, all Filipinos, were taken into custody for investigation.
The Agency subsequently filed an application before Justice Musa Kakaki for the detention of the vessel and the crew. On Thursday, 20 November, the court granted an initial 14-day detention order under suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25. Preliminary inquiries revealed that this was the vessel’s first voyage to Nigeria and Africa, having previously transported coal between Colombia and Brazil.
Captain Corpus had reportedly been with the ship for only three months.
