The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced a series of arrests and seizures across several states, including Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Edo, Niger, Taraba and Adamawa, as part of ongoing operations against illicit drug trafficking.
Among those apprehended was an 80-year-old former convict, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, who was arrested in his Mmanta-Abak residence, Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, with 5.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
Nkanta had previously been convicted for drug trafficking in December 2022 and served a two-year sentence.
In a separate operation in Akwa Ibom, NDLEA officers intercepted 37-year-old businessman Ani Onyebuchi Romans along Oron-Ibaka Road in Oron Local Government Area.
Romans, who claimed to reside in Cameroon, was transporting full-body mannequins containing 5.3 kilograms of tramadol pills.
The suspect reportedly purchased the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra State, and intended to traffic them to Cameroon.
Operations in Oyo State led to the arrest of several individuals, including 45-year-old Remi Bamidele, known as ‘Aluko the Mafia,’ at Sasa, Ibadan.
Officers recovered 10.696 kilograms of cannabis in various strains, along with two vehicles, a Toyota Venza and a Toyota Yaris.
Other arrests included Adeola Toheeb, 27, and Habeeb Ali, 29, who were found with cannabis and cash totalling ₦1,307,100 in Ibadan.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers apprehended dispatch rider Osagbovo Edigin, 30, and two others, Ebimi Labo, 28, and Akhimie Success, 25, with 118 grams of Canadian Loud and a wrap of Colorado at Ihama/Airport Road, GRA, Benin City.
Additional seizures included 17.552 kilograms of cannabis from Jimoh Agbonmhegbe, 49, at Irrua and 930 grams of skunk from Evelyn Okoyomon, 38, at Ubiaja.
Niger State officers recovered over 4,000 225 mg tramadol pills from 22-year-old Nazifi Umar at Dakwa town, Tafa Local Government Area, while in Taraba State, Yusuf Usman, 41, was arrested with 47 kilograms of skunk in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area.
In Adamawa State, 40-year-old Ugwoke Chibueze was arrested at Lamido Aliyu Mustapha International Airport, Yola, and 30,950 tramadol capsules were recovered from his residence in Bachure area of Yola South Local Government Area.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns, reaching schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities in Jigawa, Kano, and Ebonyi states.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers involved, emphasising the importance of their work in both reducing drug supply and demand.
The agency stated that its operations aim to maintain a balance between enforcement and community engagement to curb drug-related activities nationwide.
