By Oluwakemi Kindness
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised fresh concerns over the growing threat of synthetic opioids after detecting a chemical precursor linked to fentanyl production in a clandestine drug laboratory in Ogun State.
The substance was discovered during the dismantling of a methamphetamine laboratory hidden deep inside a forest in the state about two months ago.
According to the NDLEA, the chemical constituted only a small portion of the precursor substances recovered and could easily have been overlooked without advanced forensic technology.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), disclosed the development on Thursday while receiving the new Country Director of the United States International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau in Nigeria, Derek Tolliver, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Marwa described the discovery as troubling, noting that the agency is already battling clandestine methamphetamine production.
He said the finding underscores the need for stronger surveillance and forensic capabilities to prevent Nigeria from becoming exposed to a wider range of synthetic drugs.
He credited US support through the INL with significantly strengthening the agency’s operational and forensic capacity, including the provision of vehicles, modern laboratory equipment and support for forensic facilities in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu.
The NDLEA chairman said the agency previously relied on a single forensic laboratory in Lagos to serve the entire country, but the upgraded facilities have become critical to identifying and analysing substances seized during major drug operations.
Tolliver congratulated the agency on its recent successes and pledged continued US support for existing programmes.
Marwa, however, called for additional assistance in logistics and training as drug trafficking networks adopt increasingly sophisticated methods.
