Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two elderly men, aged 83 and 78, in separate operations in Abia and Ekiti states as part of a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking.
The arrests were confirmed in a statement by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, the 83-year-old suspect, Pa John Ofiel, was arrested on April 28 during a raid at Samek area in Aba, Abia State, where 700 grams of skunk were recovered from him. He reportedly said he was once a shoemaker before going into the drug trade.
In a similar operation in Ekiti State, a 78-year-old man, Ogunjobi Samuel, was arrested on April 30 at his residence in Ilupeju-Ekiti, with about 350 grams of skunk allegedly recovered.
In Oyo State, two women—Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31—were arrested over the seizure of 1.925 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis. King was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while Opeyemi was arrested in Ibadan while attempting to receive the drugs.
Also in Ibadan, NDLEA operatives arrested Taofik Adeyemi, 49, and his associate, Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, on May 2 in Erunmu after months of evading arrest. Recovered from them were 3.085 kilograms of skunk and a Toyota Camry car. Two of their accomplices had earlier been arrested in December 2025 and are currently being prosecuted at the Federal High Court in Ibadan.
In Osun State, a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was arrested at Ile-Ife toll gate with a carton containing 7 kilograms of skunk and 15 grams of methamphetamine. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner, Ifedayo Babalola, in Ilesha.
In Borno State, NDLEA officers arrested a 27-year-old suspect, Yahaya Shehu, along the Damaturu-Maiduguri road, recovering 76,440 pills of Tramadol (225mg).
In another operation, a truck driver, Magaji Isa, 30, was caught with 14,000 capsules of Tramadol, while a follow-up raid in Biu led to the arrest of the alleged owner, Abdulhamid Mahmud, 28.
Further seizures included 290 kilograms of skunk recovered from two suspects, Ojo Major Ebose and Chika Obiechefula, along the Abuja-Jos highway in Kaduna State.
In Jigawa State, operatives recovered 49,800 capsules of Tramadol from suspects arrested along Bauchi Road in Hadejia.
In Lagos State, a raid at Awolowo Market in Mushin on May 2 led to the recovery of 740 kilograms of skunk.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, a suspect identified as Godstime Godspower, 25, was arrested in Idogbo community, Benin City, with various illicit drugs including Loud, Colorado, Tramadol, Swinol, and methamphetamine.
The agency also stated that its commands across the country have continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities.
Reacting to the operations, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers for their efforts and urged them to sustain the momentum in both enforcement and public awareness.
