Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two elderly men, aged 83 and 78, alongside several other suspects in a series of coordinated raids across multiple states as part of an intensified crackdown on illicit drug trafficking.
The agency disclosed that 83-year-old Pa John Ofiel was apprehended on April 28, 2026, during a raid in Aba, Abia State, where 700 grams of skunk, a cannabis strain, packaged for retail, were recovered from him.
The suspect reportedly told investigators he was formerly a shoemaker before venturing into the drug trade.
Similarly, in Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives arrested 78-year-old Ogunjobi Samuel on April 30 at his residence in Ilupeju-Ekiti. Authorities recovered 350 grams of skunk from the suspect.
In Oyo State, two women—Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31—were arrested in connection with the seizure of 1.925 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic variant of cannabis.
King was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while Opeyemi was arrested in a follow-up operation in Ibadan.
Also in Ibadan, a suspected drug kingpin, Taofik Adeyemi, 49, was arrested alongside his associate, Mustapha Oyerinde, after months on the run. NDLEA operatives recovered over 3 kilograms of skunk and a vehicle from the suspect.
Two of his alleged accomplices had earlier been arrested in December 2025 and are currently facing prosecution.
In Osun State, a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was arrested at Ile-Ife toll gate while transporting 7 kilograms of skunk and 15 grams of methamphetamine.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the consignment owner, Ifedayo Babalola.
Further arrests were recorded in Borno State, where NDLEA operatives intercepted 76,440 pills of Tramadol from a suspect along the Damaturu-Maiduguri road.
Additional seizures included 14,000 capsules of the opioid, leading to multiple arrests linked to the consignments.
In Kaduna, two suspects were caught with 290 kilograms of compressed cannabis along the Abuja-Jos highway, while in Jigawa State, nearly 50,000 capsules of Tramadol were seized from two individuals in Hadejia.
In Lagos State, NDLEA officers raided Awolowo Market in Mushin, recovering 740 kilograms of skunk. A separate intelligence-led operation in Edo State led to the arrest of a 25-year-old suspect with assorted illicit drugs, including Loud, Colorado, Tramadol, and methamphetamine.
The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across schools, communities, and workplaces nationwide.
Chairman of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across the affected states for their efforts, urging them to maintain momentum in both enforcement and public awareness initiatives.
The statement was issued by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on May 3, 2026.