YOLA, Adamawa State, August 13, 2026: Commissioner of Police Kabir Hassan, Adamawa State Police Command spokesperson Suleiman Nguroje, and patrol officers have arrested Bashiru Ibrahim, 27, and Mustapha Labbo, 26, in Adamawa State after allegedly intercepting them with 150,000 suspected Tramadol capsules valued at ₦5.25 million while they were being transported towards Garwa in the Republic of Cameroon.

The Adamawa Police arrest followed a routine patrol on Tuesday, August 11, when officers attached to the Area Command, Yola, stopped the two men at Dabala Village, near Malabu.

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According to Nguroje, the suspects were allegedly moving the consignment from Jamtari towards Garwa when the patrol team conducted a search and discovered 150 packs containing the capsules.

“The patrol team attached to the Area Command, Yola, while on routine patrol, intercepted the suspects at Dabala Village via Malabu,” Nguroje said.

The recovered drugs have an estimated street value of ₦5.25 million.

Police said the suspects and the exhibits were subsequently taken into custody as investigators work to determine where the suspected controlled substance came from and whether other people were involved.

The case highlights the continuing challenge of preventing the movement of controlled medicines through communities and transport routes in Adamawa, a state whose location places it close to Nigeria’s international border with Cameroon.

Police have not said whether the suspects have been formally charged in court.

The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations against the two men remain subject to due process.

The command said the operation forms part of its wider effort to tackle the trafficking and abuse of illicit and controlled substances across the state.

Nguroje said the command, under Hassan’s leadership, remained committed to disrupting drug trafficking networks and preventing controlled substances from reaching communities.

“The Adamawa State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Kabir Hassan, reiterates its commitment to combating the trafficking and abuse of illicit and controlled substances in the state,” the statement said.

The police action comes amid broader concerns in Nigeria over the circulation and misuse of pharmaceutical drugs, particularly opioids such as Tramadol.

The National Agency for the Control of Food and Drug Administration and Control has repeatedly warned against the misuse and illicit distribution of controlled medicines, while law-enforcement agencies continue to intercept large consignments.

The Adamawa incident also carried a separate human-interest development, as the command reported that a child of unknown identity had been found at the temporary Market Bypass in Yola South Local Government Area.

Police said Shitu Mahmudu, a resident of Wuro Hausa, found the child and handed the youngster over to the authorities.

The child is currently being kept safely at Yola Division but has reportedly been unable to provide sufficient information to help officers establish the child’s identity or locate the family.

The police appealed to residents who may recognise the child or have information about the family to contact the Divisional Police Officer at Yola Division or visit the nearest police station.

The two developments, although unrelated, underline the range of responsibilities facing the Adamawa State Police Command, from disrupting suspected cross-border drug trafficking to helping vulnerable people reconnect with their families.

For the Tramadol case, investigators are expected to establish the source of the 150,000 capsules, the intended recipients and whether the alleged transportation was part of a wider supply network.