The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two octogenarians, an 80-year-old man and an 82-year-old woman, as well as her 32-year-old daughter, during interdiction operations that led to the seizure of illicit drugs worth over N3.2 billion in street value. The seizures were made at the Apapa seaport in Lagos and Port Harcourt port complex, Onne, Rivers State.
The operations were carried out across Lagos, Kaduna, Abia, Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Kano, Borno, and Osun states.
A statement on Sunday by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said an 80-year-old man, Ayuba Ashiru, who has a record of conviction for drug offenses, was arrested again on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in the Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari LGA, Kaduna State.
He was found with 2.3kg of skunk in a black sack. Upon interrogation, the suspect claimed he had been in the illicit drug business for 46 years.
In a related operation, a raid on Saturday, May 17, at the residence of 82-year-old Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday at Umuaguma village, Ntigha Uzor, in Isialangwa North LGA of Abia State, led to the seizure of quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol, and cannabis, as well as N130,600 cash. Her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, was also arrested.
“Grandma confessed that she had been dealing in illicit drugs for years, operating from her home where she lives alone after sending her daughter, Chisom Uchechi, to live in another house within the same vicinity,” Babafemi noted.
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Meanwhile, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, NDLEA officers intercepted a container marked TEMU 6807401, originating from India and declared as containing “machinery parts.” A joint examination of the container revealed it was loaded with three million pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol — opioid and non-opioid analgesics — with an estimated street value of N2.1 billion.
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, a container declared as holding car parts from India was intercepted by NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, May 13. A thorough examination of the container revealed it contained 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup, worth over N1.1 billion.
In Ilorin, Kwara State, two suspects — Abdulwahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail — were arrested with 199,200 pills of tramadol inside a commercial bus.
Further investigations led operatives to Favour Lodge, Basin area of Ilorin, where a 23-year-old HND 1 student of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef, was arrested with 650 grams of cannabis sativa already weighed into 149 cups.
Also, at a courier company in Lagos, the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) of NDLEA intercepted 250 grams of cocaine concealed inside female headgear going to Australia on Friday, May 16.
In Niger State, operatives intercepted a commercial vehicle with registration number AGL 945 BK loaded with 143kg of cannabis sativa on Monday, May 12. In Nasarawa, 60-year-old Welman Kengbo was arrested with 594.8kg of cannabis in Lafia. In Kano State, 26-year-old Emmanuel Hassan and 39-year-old Bello Aliyu (a.k.a Liti) were arrested with 14.3kg of Loud (a synthetic form of cannabis) on Thursday, May 15.
In Jalingo, Taraba State, 22-year-old Shafiu Ismail was arrested on Wednesday, May 14, with 5,350 pills of tramadol and diazepam. In Jigawa State, 35-year-old Tijjani Mohammed was arrested with 198kg of cannabis.
On the same Friday, May 16, along Abuja-Kaduna expressway, a 29-year-old suspect, Ismail Isah, was arrested with an AK-47 rifle and two magazines hidden in a sack of maize. He is to be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
In furtherance of its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign, NDLEA held lectures and advocacy sessions at several secondary schools across Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Rivers, and Osun States during the week.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men of the commands and units involved in the operations for their diligence and commitment. He charged them to maintain their efforts toward reducing both the supply and demand of illicit drugs across the country.
