The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a 60-year- old drug lord, Okpara Chigozie who evaded arrest and has been wanted since 2019.
According to report, Chigozie was arrested in hotel in Lagos where NDLEA operatives were raiding in order to crackdown on drug trafficking and intercepting international consignment concealed in food items.
This development was made known via a statement released by the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.
Babafemi noted that Chigozie was arrested at his hideout in Micheal Ojo street, Isheri, Ojo,Lagos, after a white Toyota sienna van carrying his illicit cargo was intercepted.
The statement reads partly,
“Operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted 60-year-old drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, ending seven years of evading the long arm of the law, even as he was caught attempting to ship large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country.
“Okpara who has been on the wanted list of NDLEA since 2019 was eventually nabbed at his hideout at 72 Micheal Ojo Street, Isheri in Ojo area of Lagos state on Sunday 13th July 2025 following the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45am same day at Ilasamaja along Apapa-Oshodi expressway.
“In the early morning operation, a team of NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence arrested one of Okpara’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi while heading to Onitsha, Anambra state in a white Toyota Sienna vehicle.
NDLEA recovers 7.6 kilograms worth of cocaine from Okpara’s residence
“The agency’s sniffer dogs were subsequently brought in to search the vehicle after which 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine were found hidden in body compartments of the space bus. A follow up operation was promptly carried out at Okpara’s hideout in Isheri where additional 1.8kg cocaine and 1.3kg methamphetamine were recovered from his residence”.
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