Navy arrests 3 drug traffickers with 71kg Cannabis

The Nigerian Navy has arrested three suspected drug traffickers and intercepted 71 kilogrammes of substances suspected to be Cannabis sativa during a riverine patrol along the River Niger in Kogi State.

Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, who disclosed this Thursday, said the suspects were arrested on September 8, 2026, by personnel of NNS Lugard following credible intelligence on the movement of an illicit drug consignment.

According to him, the suspected cannabis was concealed in the rear compartment of a large wooden commercial boat intercepted near Chintako Community Jetty in Bassa Local Government Area of the state.

Folorunsho said the suspects and recovered consignment were subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Kogi State Command, on September 9 for further investigation and prosecution.

He said the NDLEA representative indicated that investigations would seek to establish the source and ownership of the consignment, as well as identify those behind its supply.

The Navy spokesman said the interception underscored the importance of intelligence-led maritime enforcement in disrupting the movement of illicit drugs through Nigeria’s inland waterways and strengthening efforts to combat organised criminal activities.