An 80-year-old ex-convict and an 82-year-old grandmother are among the suspects arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a nationwide crackdown that led to the interception of opioids valued at over ₦3.2 billion at the Apapa and Onne seaports.
The NDLEA confirmed on Sunday that Mr Ayuba Ashiru, an ex-convict previously jailed for drug trafficking, was rearrested on Wednesday, 14 May in Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Ashiru, who served a 10-year prison sentence from 2014 to 2024, was found in possession of 2.3 kilogrammes of cannabis (skunk), packaged in retail quantities.
He confessed to being involved in the illicit drug trade for over four decades.
Similarly, in Abia State, operatives apprehended 82-year-old Mrs Uloma Uchechi Sunday and her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, during a raid on their home in Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village.
The pair were found with quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol, and skunk, along with a cash exhibit of ₦130,600.
Mrs Sunday admitted that she and her daughter took over the trade following the death of her son, who had initially run the operation.
In major seizures at Nigeria’s seaports, the agency intercepted three million tablets of tapentadol and carisoprodol (Royal 225mg) at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, with a street value of ₦2.1 billion.
The seizure occurred during a joint examination with other security agencies on 14 May.
The previous day, another container declared as new car parts from India was intercepted at the Apapa Port in Lagos. Inside were 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup, valued at over ₦1.1 billion.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects – Abdulwahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail – and recovered 199,200 tablets of tramadol. A raid on Favour Lodge in Ilorin led to the arrest of Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef, a Higher National Diploma (HND) Level 1 student at Kwara State Polytechnic. He was caught with 650 grammes of Loud, a potent cannabis strain, already measured in 149 cups for resale.
In a separate operation, 250 grammes of cocaine concealed in a female headwrap destined for Australia were intercepted by NDLEA officials at a courier company in Lagos.
Further arrests and seizures included in Niger State, A vehicle along Mokwa-Jebba road was found with 316 blocks of skunk (143kg); another suspect, Emmanuel Hassan, 26, was caught with 14.3kg of Loud, leading to the arrest of Bello Aliyu (alias Liti), 39, the alleged owner.
While in Nasarawa State, a 60-year-old Welman Kengbo was arrested in Karu with 594.8kg of skunk.
In Lagos, Oyenuga Toheeb was apprehended with 67.5kg of skunk along the Lekki/Epe Expressway.
While in Taraba State, 5,350 pills of tramadol and diazepam were recovered from Shafiu Ismail, 22 and in Jigawa State, Tijjani Mohammed, 35, was found with 198kg of skunk in Malamawa, Garki LGA.
On the Abuja–Kaduna Highway, Ismail Isah, 29, was intercepted with an AK-47 rifle and two magazines hidden in a maize sack.
He will be handed over to the relevant security agency for further investigation.
Meanwhile, NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns continued nationwide.
Recent awareness programmes were held at institutions including Supreme International School, Kano; Al-Arifeen International Academy, Kaduna; Nadado Primary School, Katsina; Ila Orangun Grammar School, Osun State; and Government Secondary School, Onne, Rivers State.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) as well as personnel from State commands in Abia, Kaduna, Kwara, Lagos, Rivers, Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa and Taraba for their successful operations.
He praised their commitment to balancing drug supply reduction with public education and demand reduction efforts.
