The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intensified its war against illicit drugs, arresting two elderly men—aged 83 and 78—in separate operations across Abia and Ekiti states, alongside multiple suspects in a sweeping nationwide crackdown.
The agency disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, detailing a series of coordinated raids and interceptions that led to significant drug seizures.
According to the statement, 83-year-old Pa John Ofiel was apprehended during a raid in Aba, Abia State, where operatives recovered 700 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets.
The suspect reportedly told investigators he had previously worked as a shoemaker before turning to drug trafficking.
In a separate operation in Ekiti State, 78-year-old Ogunjobi Samuel was arrested at his residence, with 350 grams of the same substance recovered.
The crackdown extended to Oyo State, where two women—Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31—were linked to the seizure of 1.925kg of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
While King was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Opeyemi was arrested in Ibadan during a follow-up operation.
Operatives also arrested a suspected drug dealer, Taofik Adeyemi, and his associate in Ibadan, recovering over 3kg of skunk and a vehicle believed to be linked to the operation.
In Osun State, a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was intercepted at Ile-Ife toll gate with 7kg of skunk and methamphetamine.
A subsequent operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment.
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Further arrests were recorded in Borno State, where operatives seized tens of thousands of tramadol tablets, and in Kaduna State, where nearly 300kg of compressed cannabis was recovered along the Abuja–Jos Highway.
Additional seizures were made in Jigawa State, while a major raid in Lagos State saw operatives recover 740kg of skunk at Awolowo Market in Mushin.
In Edo State, an intelligence-led operation in Benin City resulted in the arrest of a suspect with multiple illicit substances, including Loud, Colorado, Tramadol, and methamphetamine.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Mohamed Marwa, commended officers across the various commands for their efforts, urging them to maintain the momentum in the agency’s ongoing War Against Drug Abuse campaign.
The latest operations underscore the agency’s renewed push to dismantle drug networks and curb the spread of illicit substances across the country.