The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks, intercepting large consignments of opioids concealed in building materials in Taraba State and arresting several suspects, including a 75-year-old man in Ebonyi State and four female drug dealers across Edo, Imo, Kano, and Gombe states.
The agency said operatives in Taraba dealt a major blow to opioid traffickers on Saturday, June 6, 2026, after acting on intelligence that led to the interception of a truck transporting building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Jalingo.
During a search at the Nukkai Timber Shade in Jalingo, officers uncovered a large cache of illicit drugs hidden beneath the cargo.
A 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
Recovered items included 320,840 capsules of tramadol, 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 4,500 rohypnol tablets, and 299 bottles of codeine syrup.
In Ebonyi State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 75-year-old suspect, Okebe Samuel, in Okposi with 300 grams of skunk reportedly packaged for retail distribution to youths in the community.
Similarly, in Imo State, operatives raided a known drug hideout at Umulolo, Orlu, where a suspected female dealer, 32-year-old Chioma Okeke, was arrested with eight kilograms of skunk.
In Edo State, a coordinated operation targeting drug hotspots across Benin City on June 2 led to the arrest of four suspected traffickers, including three women.
At Uyosa area of Benin City, two suspects, Chioma Igba, 24, and Precious Ozomah, 22, were apprehended with various illicit substances including skunk, Loud, and methamphetamine. Another female suspect, Anita Abraham, 21, was arrested along Agbor Road with quantities of Scottish Loud and regular Loud.
Operatives also arrested a male suspect, Henry Okey, 43, at Upper Mission area of Benin City with psychotropic substances including Loud, Colorado, Swinol, and methamphetamine.
In Kano State, NDLEA officers arrested 19-year-old Saifullahi Lawan on June 4 at Kafi area of Madobi with 40 blocks of skunk weighing 38 kilograms.
Meanwhile, in Gombe State, operatives intercepted 28-year-old Ugwu Sabastine Ifebuchi near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area with 15,000 capsules of tramadol.
The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across the country, delivering anti-drug lectures in schools in Oyo, Lagos, Anambra, and Kano states.
Reacting to the operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers of the Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano, and Gombe commands for their vigilance and dedication.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks nationwide, stressing that traffickers would continue to be targeted regardless of age, gender, or concealment tactics.