Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intensified their nationwide offensive against drug trafficking syndicates.
In the operation, NDLEA said it arrested a 93-year-old great-grandfather, a 69-year-old medical doctor, an international drug courier, a couple, and several other suspects in coordinated intelligence-led operations across Lagos, Ogun, Abia, Niger, Imo, Edo, Borno states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The operations also led to the seizure of large consignments of cocaine, skunk (cannabis), codeine syrup, and other controlled substances concealed in homes, luxury buses, trucks, and commercial shipments, Blueprint.ng reports.
This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed that one of the most shocking arrest is that of a 93-year-old man, Pa Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, which was made at his residence in Umuagbaigba, Amavo Nkwogu village, Osisioma Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia state, where operatives recovered 7.7 kilograms of skunk.
The nonagenarian reportedly admitted involvement in cannabis use since 1959, claiming he later turned it into a business after years of consumption.
In a separate high-profile breakthrough, NDLEA uncovered an international drug trafficking network involving an Ivorian courier, Gohouri Michael, who was arrested at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport with 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49kg while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa.
Investigations revealed he had arrived from Milan in January and moved between Lagos and Enugu before proceeding to Kano, where he ingested part of the consignment.
He was allegedly promised €5,000 upon successful delivery in Italy.
Further intelligence-led investigation exposed a key coordinator behind the network, a 69-year-old medical doctor, Dr. Chudi Daniel Ofomata, who was tracked to his residence in Magboro, Obafemi Owode LGA, Ogun state.
He was arrested and later transferred to Kano, with NDLEA recovering promazepam tablets and promethazine injections from him.
In Niger state, operatives arrested a couple, Abdullahi Umar and his wife Adama Umar, after 118 kilograms of skunk were discovered hidden in their kitchen during a search of their home in Lapai LGA.
In Ogun state, three suspects were arrested with 34 kilograms of skunk during a raid at Sango-Ota, while another suspect, Ayoka Akinwale, was intercepted in Imo State with 56.2 kilograms of the same substance along the Onitsha–Owerri road.
Massive seizures were also recorded in other parts of the Nigeria.
In Borno state, a trailer intercepted along the Damaturu. Maiduguri road was found carrying over 42,000 tablets of Rohypnol, 82,700 milliliters of codeine syrup, and 10,000 milliliters of pentazocine injections concealed among spare parts, leading to the arrest of the owner, Eleje Ibeabuchi.
In Lagos, operatives intercepted a luxury bus heading to Port Harcourt with 15 kilograms of high-grade cannabis, while another operation in Mushin uncovered 26,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup concealed in a truck bound for Onitsha, resulting in multiple arrests.
In the FCT, a notorious drug joint known as “Tora Bora” was raided, leading to the arrest of eight suspects and the seizure of 11.516 kilograms of skunk.
Edo state also recorded one of the largest interceptions, where two trucks loaded with beer cartons were found to be concealing 7,245 kilograms of skunk destined for Abuja.
Five suspects were arrested in connection with the shipment.
Across all operations, NDLEA also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign, conducting sensitization programmes in schools, motor parks, and religious youth groups across several states including Lagos, Kano, Kogi, Katsina, Cross River, and Osun states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across all commands for their sustained efforts in balancing drug supply reduction with demand reduction strategies, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks nationwide.
