The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has re-arrested an 80-year-old ex-convict, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, barely three years after he was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years imprisonment for dealing in illicit drugs.
The 80-year-old grandpa was again arrested by NDLEA operatives on 10 January, 2026, for returning to the criminal trade.
Notorious for illicit drug business, Nkanta was first arrested by NDLEA on 14 December 2022, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in jail by a Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
Not ready to let go of the old habit, the 80-year-old ex-convict returned to the illicit drug trade and, following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives, last Saturday tracked him to his Mmanta-Abak Village, Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
As stated in a release, on Sunday, by the NDLEA Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the ex-convict was caught with 5.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis in his residence.
In another successful interdiction operation in the state, NDLEA operatives, on patrol along Oron-Ibaka Road in Oron Local Government Area, on Friday, 9 January, intercepted a 37-year-old businessman Ani Onyebuchi Romans while travelling with full body mannequins for his clothing business in Cameroun.
“A search of the mannequins revealed that they were stuffed with pills of tramadol weighing 5.3 kilograms.
“The suspect claims he resides in Cameroun and was reportedly returning to his base after the Christmas and New Year holidays when he was apprehended.
“It was revealed that he bought the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra State and was trafficking them to Cameroun to sell, using two mannequins to conceal the opioids,” it was stated in the release.
Raids across different locations in Oyo State have led to the seizure of dangerous illicit drugs and arrest of notorious dealers.
One of those arrested included 45-year-old Remi Bamidele (aka ‘Aluko the Mafia’) at Sasa, Ibadan, where a total of 10.696 kilograms of Colorado, Scottish Loud, Ghana Loud, Canadian Loud and skunk, all strains of cannabis.
“At the time of his arrest on Thursday 8 January, two vehicles: Toyota Venza and Toyota Yaris marked HG 06 LYD were recovered from him.
“At Adegbayi Area of the state capital, Ibadan, NDLEA officers, on Friday, 9 January arrested Adeola Toheeb, 27, with various quantities of Colorado, Ghana Loud and skunk.
“Habeeb Ali, 29, was nabbed at Ring Road, Ibadan with 1.264kg Colorado, Scottish Loud and skunk. Not less ₦1,307,100 million cash exhibit was also recovered from him at the point of his arrest on Saturday, 10 January,” it was added.
A dispatch rider Osagbovo Edigin, 30, and two other suspects: Ebimi Labo, 28, and Akhimie Success, 25, were, on Friday, 9 January, arrested at Ihama/Airport road GRA Benin City, Edo State in connection with the seizure of 118grams of Canadian Loud and a wrap of Colorado.
Jimoh Agbonmhegbe, 49, was arrested at Irrua with 17.552kg Colorado, Loud and skunk, while another suspect,Evelyn Okoyomon, 38, was nabbed at Ubiaja with 930 grams of skunk on Wednesday, 7 January.
In Niger State, no fewer than 4,000 pills of tramadol 225mg were recovered from a suspect, Nazifi Umar, 22, at Dakwa town, Tafa Local Government Area.
Another suspect, Yusuf Usman, 41, was nabbed with 100 blocks of skunk weighing 47kg Lankaviri, Yorro LGA Taraba State on Wednesday, 7 January.
Not less than 30,950 capsules of tramadol were recovered from the home of a suspect Ugwoke Chibueze, 40, in Bachure area of Yola South Local Government Area, Adamawa State following his arrest at the Lamido Aliyu Mustapha International Airport Yola on Tuesday, 6 January.
“With the same vigour, commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
“These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Day Science and Technical College, Babura, Jigawa; Abiayubal Ansari Islamiyya School, Layin Indo Mai Tuwan Tara, Fagge LGA, Kano; and youths of Oshituma Umuogudu Akpu Ngbo, Ebonyi State, among others.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and men of Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Taraba, Edo, Oyo, and Niger commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures.
He stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts were well appreciated.
