Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of captagon, widely known globally as ‘Jihadi drug’ worth over N1.5 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.
The captagon shipment was seized at the Lagos airport on Saturday 22nd August 2026 following the arrest of a 49-year-old cross-border kingpin Akinbile Kazeem Aikins, who arrived from Accra Ghana aboard an African World Airlines flight.
A search of his carton of local bathing soap, popularly called “Ghana Soap,” led to the recovery of 47,200 pills of the illicit amphetamine drug worth over N1.5 billion concealed within blocks of soap.
“After his arrest, Akinbile claimed he was meant to deliver the consignment in the North,” NDLEA said in a statement on Sunday.
Captagon, which is notoriously dubbed the ‘Jihadi drug’ for its use in funding extremist activities in conflict zones, was first intercepted in Nigeria by NDLEA in September 2021 at the Apapa port in Lagos.
According to analysts, terrorists use Captagon because it acts as a powerful stimulant that eliminates fear, blocks physical pain, and keeps fighters awake for long hours during combat. Also called “chemical courage” or the “poor man’s cocaine,” it alters the brain to aid militants carry out extreme violence.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the officers for their drug control efforts.