NDLEA Makes Nationwide Drug Busts, Arrests Multiple Traffickers

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested multiple suspects and seized large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis, and prescription drugs across Nigeria in a series of coordinated operations over the past week.

A Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, 62, was apprehended at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Saturday, January 31, while attempting to board a flight to China via Addis Ababa. Authorities discovered 95 jumbo-sized wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.589 kilograms, that he had ingested.

Izueke, who claimed to run a clothing and auto spare parts business in Lagos, told investigators he turned to drug trafficking to raise money for a country home he is building in Iwollo, Enugu State.

NDLEA intercepted methamphetamine concealed in MP3 speakers during a bus inspection in Abuja on Friday, February 6.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Ebube Okeke, owner of one parcel containing 173 grams of meth.

Three others Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze, and Friday Michael were apprehended the following day in Kaduna while collecting a second consignment weighing 28 grams.

In Taraba State, Yusuf Abubakar, 32, was arrested while transporting Hollandia Yogurt from Lagos to Mubi, Adamawa State.

Officers discovered 1.8 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in the yogurt packs.

In FCT Kubwa, authorities recovered 627.7 kilograms of skunk from a warehouse.

In Oyo State, Shuaibu Abdulrahman, 29, was arrested with 149.6 kilograms of skunk concealed in rice shafts, while Adeniyi Adeola, alias Prince, was caught with 10,820 ampoules of pentazocine and 117,820 tramadol capsules.

Also in Ibadan, Jimoh Nurudeen, 40, a drug kingpin, and accomplice Ogundipe Yusuf, 27, were arrested at a facility producing synthetic cannabis, with precursor chemicals, skunk, cash, and vehicles seized.

In Kwara State, authorities found 395,400 tramadol capsules concealed in a fuel tanker traveling from Lagos to Maiduguri.

Cannabis seizures also included 203 kilograms in Imo State and 420 kilograms in Ondo State.

The NDLEA Marine Command arrested Eze Nodebechi Austin on February 6 in Badagry, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle 31 wraps of cocaine from Côte d’Ivoire. Other arrests included Adekunle Oluwatosin Olajide in Lagos, found with 3.6 kilograms of cannabis, and Emeka Okeke, 37, in Enugu, where various drugs and ₦457,700 were seized.

NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting awareness programs in schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities. Recent sessions were held in Anambra, Oyo, Lagos, and Niger States.

NDLEA Chairman and CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the professionalism of officers involved in the operations and urged all personnel to maintain vigilance in ongoing drug supply and demand reduction activities.