ABUJA — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 80-year-old ex-convict and an 82-year-old grandmother in separate anti-narcotic operations across Nigeria, seizing illicit drugs estimated to be worth over ₦3.2 billion.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued on Sunday, May 19, 2025. According to the statement, the arrests are part of ongoing nationwide efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and stem the tide of narcotics circulation in the country.
In Kaduna State, 80-year-old Ayuba Ashiru—an ex-convict who had served a 10-year sentence for drug trafficking—was re-arrested on May 14 in the Sabon Gari area. He was found in possession of 2.3 kilograms of skunk, a potent variant of cannabis. Ashiru reportedly admitted to having been in the drug business for 46 years.
In a separate operation on May 17, NDLEA operatives stormed the residence of 82-year-old Uloma Sunday at Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State. A search led to the discovery of methamphetamine, tramadol, and other psychotropic substances. Sunday and her daughter, Chisom Uchechi, confessed to running the drug operation since the death of Uloma’s son, a former drug dealer, two years ago.
Additionally, in a joint operation with Customs and other security agencies, the NDLEA intercepted three million pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol at the Port Harcourt port, Rivers State. The drugs, concealed in cartons of LED lamps, were traced to a container from India and valued at over ₦2.1 billion.
Similarly, at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers discovered 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup—falsely declared as automobile spare parts—in a container originating from India. The shipment was estimated at over ₦1.1 billion.
Further arrests and seizures were made in Lagos, Niger, Taraba, Kwara, Nasarawa, and Jigawa States, involving suspects ranging from commercial transporters to tertiary students.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the operatives for their vigilance and urged them to remain resolute in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse. He reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance stance on drug-related crimes, regardless of age, status, or region.
The suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
