Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a clandestine laboratory producing Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant, in a residential apartment in Lagos and arrested its 30-year-old operator.

The discovery was part of a series of coordinated raids across seven states that yielded large quantities of opioids, skunk, and other illicit substances.

The Lagos operation took place on Thursday at Ajao Estate, Isolo, where NDLEA officers recovered 16.2 kilograms of freshly manufactured Colos, 1.7 kilograms of ADB-CHMNACA cannabinoid, 4.5 kilograms of potassium carbonate, and 91 liters of dibromobutane—precursor chemicals used in synthetic drug production. Agency spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest of Stephen Kelechi Imoh, noting that previous seizures of imported Colos in March and May 2025 had pointed to domestic manufacturing.

In a separate Lagos operation, NDLEA arrested 20-year-old music artist Godspower George Osahenrumwen, known as Steady Boy, in Lekki for attempting to collect 77.2 kilograms of Loud cannabis concealed in three bathtubs shipped from New York via DHL. His manager, Zion Osazee Omigie (alias Zee Money), is currently at large.

Nationwide seizures included:

• Kaduna: 84,710 tramadol capsules intercepted en route to Bauchi (Oct. 26); 32,946 Akuskura bottles (Oct. 28); 131.5 kg of skunk (Oct. 28)
• Ogun: 1,779 kg of skunk from a Benin Republic-bound bus (Oct. 31); three suspects arrested
• Bauchi: 596.4 kg of skunk from 46-year-old Jamilu Mustapha (alias Last Card) (Oct. 29)
• Kwara: 532,600 tramadol and exol-5 pills from three suspects (Oct. 29)
• Edo: 1,455 kg of skunk from two buses (Oct. 29)
• Ondo: 2,829 kg of skunk from two locations (Oct. 28); 737 kg from one suspect
• Taraba: 30,370 tramadol pills and 177 grams of methamphetamine from two men (Oct. 30)
• Lagos (Mushin): 16.4 kg of Loud and Colos from 28-year-old Afeez Salisu (alias Malu) (Nov. 1)

NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse campaign also continued with sensitization programs at schools including Aroje/Abaa Community High School in Oyo and Royal Star Academy in Kano.

Chairman Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.) praised officers for dismantling drug syndicates and pledged that assets linked to trafficking would be forfeited to the state. He emphasized the agency’s growing focus on synthetic drugs like Colos, which are increasingly produced locally to bypass import restrictions.

No casualties were reported in the operations and all suspects remain in custody.