KANO, Nigeria — In a major offensive against narcotics trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano Strategic Command, publicly destroyed 12,233.946 kilograms (approximately 12.234 tonnes) of assorted illicit drugs.
According to a press statement issued by Sadiq Muhammad Maigatari, Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics and Media and Advocacy Officer of the NDLEA Kano Strategic Command, on behalf of the Commander, Kano Strategic Command, the public destruction took place on Monday, June 29, 2026. The destroyed cache comprised narcotics and psychotropic substances seized during intelligence-led operations across Kano State and at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
The Commander of the Kano Strategic Command, CN Dahiru Yahaya Lawal, described the public destruction as a landmark milestone in the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), underscoring its unwavering commitment to dismantling drug supply chains across the region.
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Breakdown of the 12-tonne drug cache destroyed
The destroyed drugs included a wide range of highly addictive substances, synthetic opioids and hard drugs recovered from major trafficking networks:
- Total Main Command Seizures: 11,890.427 kg
- Cannabis sativa: 7,799.314 kg
- Psychotropic substances (Codeine, Tramadol, Diazepam, Pentazocine): 2,781.153 kg
- Exol-5: 375.641 kg
- Pregabalin: 367.870 kg
- Heroin, Cocaine and Methamphetamine: Combined total of 2.603 kg
- Other substances (Herbal mixtures, expired pharmaceuticals and Pemolin): 563.846 kg
- Total Airport (MAKIA) Seizures: 343.519 kg
- Tramadol: 322 kg
- Heroin: 11 kg
- Cocaine: 4.499 kg
- Herbal mixture: 6 kg
Caves, tunnels and high-profile arrests
The agency revealed that the destroyed consignments were intercepted through aggressive enforcement operations, including Operation Sharar Mafaka and Operation Ramadan Mubarak.
The operations uncovered sophisticated concealment methods used by drug cartels, including underground tunnels and caves in the Rimin Kebe area of Kano.
| NDLEA Kano Command Statistics (Since January 2026) | Data |
|---|---|
| Total Suspects Arrested | 904 (869 males, 35 females) |
| Volume of Illicit Substances Intercepted | Over 2.5 tonnes |
| Total Convictions Secured | More than 54 court convictions |
| Maximum Sentences Handed Down | Up to 15 years’ imprisonment |
“This is evidence that arrests lead to prosecutions, and prosecutions lead to consequences,” Commander Lawal said, emphasizing that the agency would continue to freeze the financial assets and proceeds of identified drug trafficking networks.
Government, judiciary and institutional backing
Representing the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), the Director of Operations and General Investigation, DCGN Ahmad Sulaiman Ningi, described the public destruction as “justice made visible.”
Ningi said the agency is expanding its strategies to include Drug Integrity Testing on university campuses and Alternative Development programmes aimed at steering local farmers away from illicit crop cultivation.
The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, who attended the exercise, reaffirmed the state’s zero tolerance for criminal elements seeking to poison local communities. He highlighted the government’s holistic approach, which combines strict law enforcement with rehabilitation through the Safe Corridor Project and the Kiru Rehabilitation Centre.
According to the governor, more than 400 vulnerable youths have been rescued from drug hotspots, with the majority successfully rehabilitated and reintegrated into society, while drug traffickers are left to face the full weight of the law.
The command also expressed appreciation to the Federal High Court judges, led by Hon. Justice S.M. Shu’aibu, for their swift adjudication of drug-related cases. It further commended Governor Yusuf for implementing a rapid erosion-control intervention in Rimin Kebe, which eliminated the geographic hideouts previously used by drug cartels.
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