NDLEA Arrests Drug Kingpin After Seven Years on the Run, Seizes Over 100 Tonnes of Narcotics Nationwide
…Massive operations uncover hidden consignments in cereal packs, hotel raids, and forest destruction across multiple states
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a notorious 60-year-old drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, who had been on the Agency’s wanted list since 2019.
The dramatic arrest occurred on Sunday, 13th July 2025, at his hideout located at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri, in the Ojo area of Lagos State, marking the end of a seven-year manhunt.
The breakthrough came after NDLEA officers intercepted one of Okpara’s couriers, Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway at Ilasamaja around 5:45 a.m. that same day.
Achebe, 51, was en route to Onitsha, Anambra State, in a white Toyota Sienna. Following a search using sniffer dogs, officers discovered 7.6 kilogrammes of cocaine and 900 grammes of methamphetamine cleverly hidden in the vehicle’s compartments.
A swift follow-up operation led to a raid on Okpara’s residence in Isheri, where an additional 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine were recovered.
The arrest brings to an end Okpara’s extended evasion of justice and underscores the NDLEA’s increased operational efficiency and intelligence gathering capabilities.
At Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA operatives in collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security Unit intercepted 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol on Wednesday, 16th July.
The drugs were found in the luggage of Omoregie Nice Uyiosa, who was attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy via Istanbul. Uyiosa confessed to purchasing the drugs for resale abroad at inflated prices.
The next day, Thursday 17th July, NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport export shed uncovered 17 parcels of skunk weighing 1.7kg, concealed within Golden Morn cereal packs, headed for Pakistan. Chioba Robert Uchenna, who presented the shipment as part of consolidated cargo, was promptly arrested.
Elsewhere in Lagos, a major bust occurred on Saturday, 19th July, when NDLEA raided Sarah Sam Hotels at 115 Ogudu Road, Kosofe. The hotel, reportedly operated as a family business, was being used to distribute party drugs.
A suspect, Obayemi Oyetade, believed to be the ringleader, was found with 1.3kg of chocolate cannabis, 900 grammes of cannabis-infused gummies, and 22.9 grammes of skunk. Three vehicles were also confiscated during the raid.
In Kaduna State, three suspects — Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi, and Emmanuel Madu — were arrested in Narayi High Cost area, Chikun LGA, with a staggering 742.866kg of skunk and a synthetic variant known as Colorado.
In Kano, Lawan Rabiu was caught along Danbatta-Kazaure road with 36,000 pills of tramadol on Wednesday 16th July, while Aliyu Abubakar was arrested at Gombe Roundabout with 25,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 two days later.
At Kwadom, Gombe State, Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris were intercepted with 49 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 29kg.
In Borno State, operatives on Baga road, Maiduguri, intercepted 74,360 opioid pills inside a Mercedes Benz C180. Audu Modu, 44, was arrested in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, in Bayelsa, a 63-year-old grandmother, Akuna Nelson, was arrested on Thursday 17th July at Osiri, Yenagoa, over the possession of 163 litres of skuchies, a locally brewed drug cocktail.
In Kogi State, NDLEA arrested four suspects — Ikechukw Abugu, Sunday Ani, Chukwu Christian, and Emmanuel Olisakwe — along Okene-Lokoja highway with 2kg of methamphetamine concealed in their vehicle en route from Onitsha to Minna.
In Abia State, a notorious dealer, Nduka Obi, 39, was raided at 4 Niger Street, Ugwa Road, Aba on Monday 14th July. Various quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol, cocaine and ₦736,000 were seized.
Elsewhere, Chisom Okpalaeke, 30, was apprehended along the Onitsha-Enugu expressway on 16th July with 45,000 tramadol pills. The same day, in Taraba, Ngwokwoka Thomas and Mohammed Audu, both 44, were caught in Dan Anacha, Gassol LGA, with 10,000 tramadol capsules and a gram of cannabis.
In a significant environmental crackdown, NDLEA officers destroyed 101,150 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in a forest in Osun State, further crippling supply lines used by criminal syndicates.
Simultaneously, the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign continued across various states. Awareness lectures were delivered in secondary schools and Islamic institutions in Niger, Adamawa, Enugu, Anambra, and Kano states.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers from the MMIA, Special Operations Unit, and the state commands involved in the week’s numerous busts.
He also lauded their balanced approach between drug supply reduction and demand reduction activities.
“These feats reflect the Agency’s strategic and intelligence-driven commitment to protecting Nigerians from the menace of illicit drugs. Every arrest and seizure weakens the infrastructure of drug cartels operating across our country,” Marwa stated.
The NDLEA continues to intensify its nationwide clampdown on drug trafficking and abuse, as it seeks to dismantle drug networks and safeguard communities.
