Two grandpas, 83-year-old John Ofiel and 78-year-old Ogunjobi Samuel, were among suspects arrested in an ongoing nationwide crackdown on illicit drug traffickers and dealers by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
This was as the anti-narcotic agency nabbed a notorious drug dealer in Ibadan and recovered large consignment of illicit substances in raids in Lagos, Borno, Kaduna, Jigawa, Edo, Osun states.
NDLEA made these known in a press release by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, detailing the activities of the agency in the past week.
One of the two grandpas, Pa Ofiel, was nabbed by NDLEA officers on Tuesday, 28 April, 2026 during a raid operation at Samek, by Powerline, Aba, Abia State, following credible intelligence that he was dealing in illicit substances.
As at the time of his arrest, 700 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets were recovered from him.
The octogenarian claimed he was a professional shoemaker before delving into the illicit drug trade.
In a similar development, NDLEA operatives in Ekiti State, on Thursday, 30 April, arrested Samuel at his H22 Owode Street, Ilupeju-Ekiti for drug peddling.
350 grams of the same psychoactive substance were seized from him at the time of his arrest.
Two ladies– Rebecca King (24), and Olaniyan Opeyemi (31)– were arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oyo State in connection with the seizure of 1.925kg Colorado, a synthetic cannabis.
While Rebecca was nabbed conveying the consignment along Lagos/Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday, 29 April, Opeyemi was arrested in a follow up operation at Iwo Road, Ibadan, when she attempted taking delivery of the cargo.
In another interdiction operation in Ibadan, a notorious drug dealer, 49-year-old Taofik Adeyemi, was arrested last Saturday, after months of evading arrest, along with his salesman, Mustapha Oyerinde (28), at his residence in the Erunmu area of the state capital.
Two of his associates, Abiodun Abiola and Aderinde Ibrahim, had been arrested on 8 December, 2025 and are currently being prosecuted at a Federal High Court, Ibadan.
At the time of Taofik’s arrest, 3.085 kilograms of skunk and a Toyota Camry car, marked EPE 299 JZ, were recovered from him.
In Osun State, a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was, last Thursday, arrested at the Ile-Ife Toll Gate, along Ibadan/Ilesa Expressway.
Awoyemi was caught conveying a cartoon containing 7kg skunk and 15grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle with registration number LES 114 AG.
A follow up operation in Ilesa Town, Osun State led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Ifedayo Babalola (40).
A 27-year-old suspect, Yahaya Shehu, was arrested last Wednesday by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Damaturu-Maiduguri Road, Borno State, following credible intelligence, leading to the seizure of 76,440 pills of Tramadol 225mg.
In another operation in Borno, a truck driver, Magaji Isa (30), was arrested following the interception of 14,000 capsules of Tramadol, while a follow up operation in Biu led to the arrest of the owner Abdulhamid Mahmud (28).
A total of 393 blocks of compressed blocks of skunk, weighing 290 kilograms were recovered from two suspects, Ojo Major Ebose (36), and Chika Obiechefula (32), last Saturday.
The two suspected were arrested when their Honda Ridgeline vehicle, marked KSF 65 EQ, was intercepted by NDLEA officers on patrol along Abuja/Jos Highway, Kaduna.
No fewer than 49,800 capsules of Tramadol were seized from another set of two suspects– Ahmed Garba (a.k.a Fangale), 50, and Sale Mohammed (41), along Bauchi Road, Hadejia, Jigawa State, last Friday.
In Lagos State, NDLEA officers, last Saturday, raided Awolowo Market, Mushin, where they recovered 740kg skunk.
An intelligence-led operation at Idogbo Community, Benin City, Edo State, last Thursday, led to the arrest of a suspect, Godstime Godspower, aged 25 years.
Assorted illicit drugs seized from him included 57grams of Loud; 3grams of Colorado; 8grams of Tramadol; 3grams of Swinol and 5grams of methamphetamine.
NDLEA commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These included WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Day Secondary School, Edozhigi, Gbako LGA, Niger State; Khulafa’ul Rashidun Islamiyya, Rano, Kano;
Community Secondary School, Akweze, Anambra; commercial motorcyclists and their passengers at Poka Junction, Epe, Lagos and members of NAPPMED in Benin, Irrua and Auchi, Edo State, among others.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has commended officers and men of Abia, Ekiti, Edo, Borno, Kaduna, Jigawa, Oyo, Osun and Lagos commands for the arrests and seizures.
Noting that their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitisation activities, he charged them and their compatriots across the country to continue to build on the current tempo.
