In a sweeping nationwide offensive against drug trafficking and abuse, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled multiple illicit drug operations valued at over N3.2 billion, arresting suspects ranging from octogenarians to students, and recovering arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 rifle.
One of the most startling arrests came from Kaduna State, where 80-year-old Ayuba Ashiru, a known ex-convict with a lengthy history in the drug trade, was apprehended at Barazana Street in the Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari Local Government Area. The elderly man, who recently completed a 10-year prison term in 2024, was caught in possession of 2.3 kilograms of cannabis sativa, popularly known as skunk. During interrogation, Ashiru reportedly admitted to being involved in the illegal business for over 46 years, confirming that incarceration had done little to deter his criminal enterprise.
In Abia State, NDLEA officers stormed a residence in Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village, where 82-year-old Uloma Uchechi Sunday and her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, were found with quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol, skunk, and N130,600 in suspected drug proceeds. Mrs. Sunday allegedly confessed to inheriting the illicit business from her late son, who died two years ago, and had since been sustaining it.
Meanwhile, in one of the largest seizures this year, NDLEA operatives, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted a container at the Port Harcourt Port Complex in Onne, Rivers State. The shipment, which was subjected to a joint inspection on May 14, held no fewer than three million pills of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol Royal 225mg. The consignment, smuggled into the country under false declarations, is estimated to be worth N2.1 billion on the black market.
Similarly, at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives uncovered another container loaded with 169,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup falsely declared as automobile spare parts from India. This shipment, intercepted on May 13, has an estimated street value of N1.1 billion and represents a growing trend of pharmaceutical smuggling through Nigeria’s key seaports.
Kwara State also featured prominently in the agency’s crackdown. On May 16, two men—Abdulwahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail—were arrested with 199,200 tablets of tramadol. In a separate operation within Ilorin, NDLEA agents raided Favour Lodge, a student residence, and arrested Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef, an HND1 student of Kwara State Polytechnic. He was found with 650 grams of ‘loud’—a potent variant of cannabis—pre-packaged in 149 cups, suspected to be for retail within the campus community.
In Lagos, another attempt to traffic drugs overseas was foiled when officials discovered 250 grams of cocaine ingeniously concealed in a piece of female headgear destined for Australia. The substance was intercepted at a courier service outlet during a routine check.
In Niger State, two separate operations on May 15 led to the arrest of Idris Kamal with 143 kilograms of skunk along the Mokwa-Jebba road, and Emmanuel Hassan with 14.3 kilograms of loud. A follow-up intelligence operation led to the arrest of one Bello Aliyu, also known as Liti, believed to be the owner of the drugs recovered from Hassan.
From the North-Central region, NDLEA operatives in Karu, Nasarawa State, apprehended 60-year-old Welman Kengbo with 594.8 kilograms of cannabis. In Lagos, one Oyenuga Toheeb was arrested along the Lekki-Epe expressway with 67.5 kilograms of skunk.
The crackdown extended to Taraba State, where a 22-year-old man, Shafiu Ismail, was found with 5,350 tablets of tramadol and diazepam in Jalingo. In Jigawa State, another suspect, Tijjani Mohammed, 35, was caught in Malamawa with a consignment of 198 kilograms of cannabis.
In a more security-sensitive discovery, NDLEA operatives patrolling the Abuja-Kaduna highway intercepted a suspect, Ismail Isah, 29, with an AK-47 rifle and two loaded magazines. The weapon was concealed in a sack of maize, raising concerns about the nexus between drug trafficking and arms smuggling. The suspect, according to the agency, will be handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation and prosecution.
While enforcement efforts intensified, the agency’s preventive initiative—the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA)—continued across the country. Advocacy and sensitization programmes were held in schools such as Supreme International School in Kano, Al-Arifeen International Academy in Kaduna, Nadado Primary School in Katsina, Ila Orangun Grammar School in Osun State, and Government Secondary School, Onne, Rivers State, where students were educated on the dangers of drug abuse.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the efforts of officers across the country, praising their commitment to both disrupting the supply chain of illicit drugs and investing in long-term demand reduction through public enlightenment.
These operations, he said, underscore the agency’s resolve to rid Nigeria of the drug scourge and dismantle networks that continue to profit at the expense of public health and safety.
