NDLEA Smashes Major Drug Syndicates Nationwide, Arrests 75-Year-Old Grandpa
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on illicit drugs with a string of high-profile operations that led to the arrest of suspects across multiple states, the seizure of vast quantities of narcotics, and the destruction of over 178,000 kilogrammes of cannabis in Taraba State.
In one of the headline operations, a 75-year-old man, Uchelue Ikechukwu, was arrested in Umudioka, Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State with 26.7kg of skunk on Thursday, 28th August.
His arrest was part of a series of raids that netted six other suspects, including Eneh Makuo, Emmanuel Chiemeli, Uwakwe Matthew, Chukwujekwu Ehirim, Ifeanyichukwu Olisa, and Odoh Chukwuma, who were apprehended with varying quantities of opioids and cannabis in Nkwelle and Amichi.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives, backed by the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Forest Security Service, Mambila Youth Vanguard, and local vigilantes, stormed a massive 71.5-hectare cannabis farm in Mayodoga forest, Sardauna LGA, on Tuesday, 26th August.
The operation resulted in the destruction of 178,750kg of skunk and the arrest of 30-year-old Alfa Andrew, who was found with a Dane gun at the site.
At the Abuja/Kaduna tollgate, NDLEA officers intercepted a fuel tanker on Friday, 29th August, with 104,900 capsules of tramadol hidden in the driver’s compartment. The consignment was suspected to be bound for insurgents in Borno State, and a suspect, Hassan Buba, was taken into custody.
The following day, another suspect, Kabir Sulaiman, 45, was arrested at Gwargwaje-Zaria checkpoint with 34.15kg of skunk. Similarly, in Maiduguri, Uchenna Umeh, 33, a major supplier of opioids in Borno State, was caught with 30,640 tramadol pills, 7,940 rohypnol tablets, and ₦7.99 million in cash stacked in new ₦200 notes.
In Nasarawa, NDLEA officers arrested Abubakar Dauda, 36, with 79,040 pills of tramadol and diazepam at Mararaba Karu, while in Lafia, Babangida Tungura, 47, was nabbed with 30,410 tramadol and rohypnol tablets, alongside 38 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in a deep freezer.
In Gombe, a consignment of 15,000 tramadol capsules hidden in sacks of animal feed was intercepted, leading to the arrest of 23-year-old Mohammed Ali in Ngorore, Adamawa, the following day. Another Adamawa suspect, Hamisu Abdullahi, was arrested after officers found 58kg of skunk hidden in pepper sacks in a car intercepted at Mararraba Lamurde.
Kano also recorded multiple seizures, including 250,000 exol-5 tablets recovered from Alhasaan Musa, 25, and the arrest of four suspects with skunk, exol-5, and new psychoactive substances in separate raids along Kano-Hadeja and Zaria-Kano roads.
In Edo, NDLEA operatives seized 64,250 opioid pills from a commercial bus along the Ewu-Auchi road, while in Ondo, 117.5kg of processed cannabis was recovered at Queen Elizabeth Aponmun Reserved Camp. In Lagos, 164kg of skunk was seized from a suspect’s base in Mushin.
In Ekiti, officers made what has been described as the largest seizure of “Loud” and “Colorado” strains in the state. Acting on intelligence, they raided a hideout in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, 29th August, arresting a 42-year-old drug kingpin, Ajayi Ayodeji Idowu (a.k.a Atiku), with 5.3kg of Loud and Colorado, as well as 2.5 grams of methamphetamine.
Beyond enforcement, NDLEA sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign nationwide, holding sensitisation programmes in schools, worship centres, workplaces, palaces, and communities.
These included sessions for secondary school students in Onitsha, youth in Abakaliki, traditional rulers in Badagry and Isheri, and visits to the First Lady of Ogun State and the leadership of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the officers in Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo, and Edo for their “resilience and bravery” in dismantling drug cartels while also applauding other commands for intensifying grassroots sensitisation efforts.
