NDLEA arrests elderly men, others in nationwide drug crackdown, recovering skunk, Tramadol, and synthetic cannabis across states. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its operations against illicit drug trafficking, arresting several suspects including two elderly men aged 83 and 78 in Abia and Ekiti states. The agency disclosed the arrests in a statement issued by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, highlighting a series of coordinated raids across Nigeria.
In Abia State, 83-year-old Pa John Ofiel was apprehended on April 28 during a raid at Samek area by Powerline in Aba. Officers recovered 700 grams of skunk, a cannabis strain, packaged in retail sachets. Ofiel, who claimed to have been a shoemaker before turning to drug trade, was arrested based on credible intelligence. Similarly, in Ekiti State, 78-year-old Ogunjobi Samuel was arrested on April 30 at his residence on Owode Street, Ilupeju-Ekiti, with 350 grams of skunk recovered from him.
In Oyo State, two women—Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31—were arrested in connection with 1.925 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis. King was intercepted on April 29 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while Opeyemi was apprehended on Iwo Road, Ibadan, as she tried to receive the consignment. Also in Ibadan, NDLEA arrested Taofik Adeyemi, 49, and his associate Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, on May 2 at Erunmu. They were found with 3.085 kilograms of skunk and a Toyota Camry. Two of Adeyemi’s accomplices had been arrested in December 2025 and are currently facing prosecution in Ibadan’s Federal High Court.
In Osun State, 65-year-old Oladayo Awoyemi was arrested on April 30 at Ile-Ife toll gate with 7 kilograms of skunk and 15 grams of methamphetamine. The alleged owner, Ifedayo Babalola, 40, was later arrested in Ilesha. In Borno State, 27-year-old Yahaya Shehu was apprehended on April 29 along Damaturu-Maiduguri road with 76,440 Tramadol pills (225mg). Another truck driver, Magaji Isa, 30, was arrested with 14,000 Tramadol capsules, and the alleged owner, Abdulhamid Mahmud, 28, was captured in Biu.
Further seizures include 290 kilograms of skunk from Ojo Major Ebose, 36, and Chika Obiechefula, 32, along Abuja-Jos highway in Kaduna. In Jigawa State, 49,800 Tramadol capsules were recovered from two suspects in Hadejia. In Lagos, a raid at Awolowo Market in Mushin on May 2 yielded 740 kilograms of skunk. In Edo State, Godstime Godspower, 25, was arrested in Idogbo with Loud, Colorado, Tramadol, Swinol, and methamphetamine.
NDLEA continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities. Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa commended officers for their efforts and urged sustained momentum in enforcement and public awareness. These operations reflect Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to combating drug abuse and trafficking nationwide.
Leave a Comment