…Nabs four notorious female dealers in sweeps across Edo, Imo, Kano, Gombe

Large consignments of opioids and other illicit substances concealed in building materials have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a nationwide crackdown on drug cartels.
The operations also led to the arrest of a 75-year-old man in Ebonyi State and four notorious female drug dealers in Edo, Imo, Kano, and Gombe states.

A major breakthrough was recorded in Taraba State on Saturday, June 6, 2026, following credible intelligence that led to the interception of a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Jalingo.

A thorough search of the vehicle by NDLEA operatives at the Nukkai Timber Shade in Jalingo uncovered a massive cache of illicit drugs concealed beneath the cargo.

A 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was immediately arrested.Recovered from the truck were 320,840 capsules of tramadol, 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 4,500 pills of rohypnol, and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.

In Ebonyi State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 75-year-old suspect, Okebe Samuel, at Okposi. The septuagenarian was found in possession of 300 grams of skunk allegedly packaged in retail sachets for sale to youths in the community.

In Imo State, NDLEA officers raided a known drug enclave at Umulolo, Orlu, leading to the arrest of a notorious female dealer, 32-year-old Chioma Okeke. Eight kilograms of skunk were recovered during the operation.

Meanwhile, operatives in Edo State carried out a coordinated raid on notorious drug hotspots in Benin City on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, resulting in the arrest of four suspected traffickers, including three women.

At Uyosa, Benin City, two female suspects, Chioma Igba, 24, and Precious Ozomah, 22, were arrested with 176 grams of skunk, 65 grams of Loud, and five grams of methamphetamine.
Along Agbor Road, another female suspect, Anita Abraham, 21, was apprehended with 95 grams of Scottish Loud and 329 grams of regular Loud.

At Upper Mission, Benin City, a male suspect, Henry Okey, 43, was arrested with various psychotropic substances, including Loud, Colorado, Swinol, and methamphetamine.

In Kano State, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, June 4, arrested a 19-year-old suspect, Saifullahi Lawan, at the Kafi area of Madobi with 40 blocks of skunk weighing 38 kilograms.

Similarly, operatives in Gombe State intercepted 28-year-old Ugwu Sabastine Ifebuchi near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area of Gombe on Monday, June 1. He was found in possession of 15,000 capsules of tramadol.

The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign across the country in the past week. Sensitisation lectures were delivered to students and staff of Holiness Foundation Primary School in Saki, Oyo State; Dorras High School, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos; Ado Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State; and Army Day Secondary School, Kano, among others.

Reacting to the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and personnel of the Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano, and Gombe commands for their resilience and vigilance.

He also praised officers across the country for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Marwa reiterated the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug supply chains, stressing that traffickers would continue to be targeted regardless of age, gender, or concealment methods.