Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two octogenarians, 80-year-old Ayuba Ashiru and 82-year-old grandma, Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday, along with her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi.
Also arrested was a 60-year-old suspect, Welman Kengbo, who was nabbed by NDLEA officers with 594.8kg skunk at Karu area of Nasarawa State on Friday, 16 May.
This was as the anti-drug agency also intercepted opioids worth over ₦3.2billion at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos and Port Harcourt Port, Onne, Rivers State.
The arrests made in raids across the country in the last one week, were revealed in press release on Sunday, 18 May, 2025 by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
80-year-old Ayuba, who had previously been arrested and prosecuted by NDLEA for drug dealing offences, was convicted and served 10-year jail term between 2014 and 2024.
He was again arrested on Wednesday, 14 May, 2025 at Barazana Street, Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State by NDLEA officers, acting on credible intelligence.
“A total of 2.3kilograms of skunk packaged in nylons and papers in retail sizes were recovered from him. He claimed to have been in the illicit drug trade for the past 46 years,” it was stated in the release.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, 17 May, raided the home of 82-year-old Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday at Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor Village, Abia State.
Different quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol and skunk, a strain of cannabis as well as a cash exhibit of N130,600 were recovered from her and her daughter, 32-year-old Chisom Uchechi.
“The grandma confessed that she and her daughter took over the drug trade after her son who started the business died two years ago,” it was stated.
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, a total of three million pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal 225mg, with Street value of ₦2.1billion, were intercepted in one of the containers watch-listed by the agency, based on intelligence.
“The seizure was made on Wednesday, 14 May during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies,” Babafemi stated.
In like manner, NDLEA operatives at the Apapa Seaport, Lagos, on Tuesday, 13 May, intercepted another watch-listed container declared to have new car parts and accessories from India.
“During a joint examination with other security agencies, a total of 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup worth over ₦1.1billion in street value were discovered concealed in the shipment,” it was stated.
In Kwara State, no fewer than 199,200 pills of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Abdulwahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail on Friday, 16 May following their arrest at Gegele area of Ilorin by NDLEA operatives.
An HND 1 student of the Department of Laboratory Science Technology, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef, who also arrested following a raid on Favour Lodge in the state capital.
He was reportedly caught with 650grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis already measured in 149 cups, which he sells to other students.
At a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), on Friday, 16 May, intercepted 250grams of cocaine concealed in female headgear going to Australia.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba Road, on Thursday, 15 May, intercepted a Toyota Carina car marked AGL 945 BK.
The car was conveying 316 blocks of skunk weighing 143kg, while a suspect, Idris Kamal, aged 35, was arrested.
“Same day, operatives on patrol at Chachi Junction, along Kaduna Road arrested Emmanuel Hassan, 26, with 14.3kg Loud.
“A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Bello Aliyu (alias Liti), 39,” Babafemi added.
A 60-year-old suspect, Welman Kengbo was nabbed by NDLEA officers with 594.8kg skunk at Karu area of Nasarawa State on Friday, 16 May.
Another suspect, Oyenuga Toheeb, was arrested along Lekki/Epe Expressway, Lagos on Thursday, 15 May, allegedly with 67.5kg of the same psychoactive substance.
5,350 pills of tramadol and diazepam were recovered from a suspect, Shafiu Ismail, 22, when he was arrested on Thursday, 15 May at Sabonlayin, Jalingo LGA, Taraba State, while Tijjani Mohammed, 35, was nabbed with 198kg skunk at Malamawa, Garki LGA, Jigawa State same day.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Abuja-Kaduna Highway, on Friday, 16 May, caught 29-year-old Ismail Isah with an AK 47 rifle and two magazines concealed in a sack of maize.
The anti-narcotic agency stated that the suspect will be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Supreme International School, Fagge, Kano; Al-Arifeen International Academy, Kaduna; Nadado Primary School, Bakori, Katsina; Ila Orangun Grammar School, Ila Orangun, Osun State; and students and staff of Government Secondary School, Onne, Rivers State; among others.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has commended the officers and men of DOGI, Abia, Kaduna, Kwara, PHIPC, Apapa, Lagos, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Taraba, and Niger commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.
Marwa also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
