The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano Strategic Command, has intercepted a large cache of illicit substances in the Badawa area of Kano, including 75,000 pregabalin capsules, 556 bottles of codeine cough syrup, and quantities of cannabis sativa, the agency confirmed on Monday.
According to the command’s Public Relations Officer, Sadiq Muhammad-Maigatari, pregabalin, while medically used as an anticonvulsant and pain-relief drug, has become one of the most widely abused prescription medications in Nigeria in recent years.
NDLEA Kano Commander, Dahiru Yahaya-Lawal, said the seizure followed “credible intelligence indicating the drugs were intended for distribution during the upcoming Sallah celebrations.” He added that the operation disrupted a potentially significant supply to the state’s illicit drug markets.
The primary suspect linked to the haul remains at large and is now on the NDLEA’s wanted list. Yahaya-Lawal emphasized that the seizure “deals a serious blow to the cartel’s network and protects the people of Kano from the dangers of these substances.”
He reiterated the command’s commitment to the NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba-Marwa’s directive to achieve a drug-free society, praising public cooperation and urging residents to continue providing information that could assist in the fight against drug trafficking.
“Those involved in drug trafficking should desist,” Yahaya-Lawal warned, stressing that the agency will relentlessly pursue offenders and bring them to justice.
