NDLEA arrests 83-year-old, 78-year-old, others in nationwide drug crackdown
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 illicit drug trafficking.
The arrests were disclosed on Sunday in a statement by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, the 83-year-old suspect, Pa John Ofiel, was apprehended on April 28 during a raid at Samek area by Powerline in Aba, Abia State, following credible intelligence.
Officers reportedly recovered 700 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets. The suspect claimed he was previously a shoemaker before engaging in the drug trade.
In a similar operation, NDLEA operatives in Ekiti State arrested a 78-year-old man, Ogunjobi Samuel, on April 30 at his residence on Owode Street, Ilupeju-Ekiti, where about 350 grams of skunk were allegedly recovered.
In Oyo State, two women — Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31 — were arrested in connection with 1.925 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis. King was intercepted along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, while Opeyemi was later arrested in Ibadan.
Also in Ibadan, operatives arrested Taofik Adeyemi, 49, and Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, with 3.085 kilograms of skunk and a Toyota Camry.
In Osun State, a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was arrested at the Ile-Ife toll gate with 7 kilograms of skunk and 15 grams of methamphetamine, while the alleged owner was later arrested in Ilesha.
In Borno, suspects were arrested with tens of thousands of Tramadol capsules, while additional operations in Kaduna, Jigawa, Lagos, and Edo led to multiple seizures of illicit drugs.
The agency also said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns nationwide.
NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers for their efforts and urged sustained enforcement and public awareness campaigns.
