NDLEA Arrests 83-Year-Old, 78-Year-Old Grandfathers in Nationwide Drug Crackdown, Seizes Large Consignments
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two elderly men, aged 83 and 78, in Abia and Ekiti states respectively, as part of a sweeping nationwide offensive against illicit drug trafficking that led to multiple arrests and significant seizures across several states.
The NDLEA said the 83-year-old suspect, Pa John Ofiel, was apprehended on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, during a raid at Samek by Powerline area of Aba, Abia State, following actionable intelligence. Officers recovered 700 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets. The suspect reportedly told investigators he was formerly a shoemaker before venturing into the drug trade.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives in Ekiti State arrested 78-year-old Ogunjobi Samuel on Thursday, April 30, at his residence on Owode Street, Ilupeju-Ekiti. About 350 grams of skunk were seized from him at the point of arrest.
The agency’s crackdown extended to Oyo State, where two women — Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31 — were arrested in connection with 1.925 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis. King was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while transporting the drugs, while Opeyemi was apprehended at Iwo Road, Ibadan, during a follow-up operation.
In another major bust in Ibadan, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspected drug kingpin, Taofik Adeyemi, 49, alongside his associate, Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, at his residence in the Erunmu area on Saturday, May 2. The suspect had reportedly evaded arrest for months. Recovered from him were 3.085 kilograms of skunk and a Toyota Camry vehicle. Two of his alleged accomplices had earlier been arrested in December 2025 and are currently facing prosecution at the Federal High Court in Ibadan.
In Osun State, a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was arrested at the Ile-Ife toll gate along the Ibadan-Ilesha Expressway while transporting a carton containing 7 kilograms of skunk and 15 grams of methamphetamine. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the consignment’s owner, Ifedayo Babalola, 40, in Ilesha.
Further north, NDLEA operatives in Borno State intercepted 76,440 pills of Tramadol from a 27-year-old suspect, Yahaya Shehu, along the Damaturu-Maiduguri road. In a separate operation, officers arrested a truck driver, Magaji Isa, with 14,000 capsules of the same substance, leading to the arrest of the alleged owner, Abdulhamid Mahmud, in Biu.
In Kaduna State, operatives intercepted a Honda Ridgeline vehicle along the Abuja-Jos highway, recovering 290 kilograms of compressed skunk from two suspects, Ojo Major Ebose, 36, and Chika Obiechefula, 32.
Similarly, in Jigawa State, NDLEA officers seized 49,800 capsules of Tramadol from two suspects, Ahmed Garba, also known as Fangale, and Sale Mohammed, along Bauchi Road in Hadejia.
In Lagos, a raid at Awolowo Market in Mushin led to the recovery of 740 kilograms of skunk, while an intelligence-led operation in Idogbo community, Benin City, Edo State, resulted in the arrest of a 25-year-old suspect, Godstime Godspower, with assorted illicit drugs including Loud, Colorado, Tramadol, Swinol, and methamphetamine.
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign nationwide, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities in states including Niger, Kano, Anambra, Lagos, and Edo.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across the affected states for their efforts, noting that the balance between drug supply reduction and preventive education remains critical. He urged continued momentum in the agency’s nationwide anti-drug operations.
The statement was issued by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja.
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