... Intercepts 104,900 tramadol caps in fuel tanker heading to Borno; 502, 280 pills of opioids concealed in refrigerator, animal feeds in Nasarawa, Gombe, Kano, Maiduguri raids, recovers N7.9m cash; nabs drug kingpin with large consignment of Loud, Colorado, Meth in Ekiti
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on illicit drugs, leading to multiple arrests and seizures across several states, including Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Borno, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Kano, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Ekiti.
Spokesman of the Agency, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the operations carried out between 25th and 30th August 2025 resulted in the arrest of several suspects, including a 75-year-old man, Uchelue Ikechukwu, and the destruction of a massive cannabis farm in Taraba State.
In Anambra State, operatives arrested Uchelue with 26.7kg of skunk at Umudioka, Dunukofia Local Government Area. Others arrested in Nkwelle and Amichi areas with various quantities of opioids and skunk include: Eneh Makuo, Emmanuel Chiemeli, Uwakwe Matthew, Chukwujekwu Ehirim, Ifeanyichukwu Olisa, and Odoh Chukwuma.
In Taraba State, 30-year-old Alfa Andrew was apprehended with a Dane gun after NDLEA operatives supported by the Nigerian Army, Forest Security Service, Mambila Youth Vanguard, and Vigilante destroyed his 71.5-hectare cannabis plantation in Mayodoga forest, Sardauna LGA. The farm yielded a staggering 178,750kg of skunk.
In Kaduna, 104,900 capsules of tramadol hidden in a fuel tanker were intercepted at the Abuja-Kaduna tollgate on August 29, believed to be destined for insurgents in Borno State. One suspect, Hassan Buba, was taken into custody. Similarly, another suspect, Kabir Sulaiman, 45, was arrested with 34.15kg of skunk at Gwargwaje-Zaria checkpoint.
In Borno State, NDLEA arrested a major supplier, 33-year-old Uchenna Umeh, in Maiduguri. A search of his apartment in Chescon, Pompomary area, yielded 30,640 tramadol pills, 7,940 rohypnol tablets, and ₦7.99 million in new ₦200 notes.
In Nasarawa State, operatives arrested Abubakar Dauda, 36, with 79,040 pills of tramadol and diazepam in Mararaba Karu, and Babangida Tungura, 47, in Lafia, with 30,410 pills of tramadol and rohypnol plus 38 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup concealed in a deep freezer.
In Adamawa, 23-year-old Mohammed Ali was nabbed at Ngorore after his consignment of 15,000 tramadol capsules hidden in animal feed sacks was intercepted in Gombe. Another suspect, Hamisu Abdullahi, was arrested in Yola in connection with 58kg of skunk concealed in sacks of pepper inside a vehicle intercepted along Mararraba Lamurde.
In Kano State, multiple suspects were arrested with huge drug hauls. They include Ashiru Garba, 20, and Aminu Abdu, 22, caught with 25,000 exol-5 pills and 1.5kg of skunk; Ali Muhammad, 37, and Muhammad Maishanu, 42, arrested with 8,080 bottles of new psychoactive substances and 25.7kg of skunk; and Alhasaan Musa, 25, who was caught with 250,000 exol-5 tablets in Zango, Ungogo LGA.
In Edo State, NDLEA intercepted 64,250 pills of opioids along Ewu-Auchi road from a commercial bus, leading to the arrest of Mohammed Halidu, 36.
In Ondo State, two suspects, Elves Odogwu, 45, and David Jeremiah, 35, were arrested with 117.5kg of processed cannabis during a raid at Aponmun Reserved Camp.
In Lagos, a suspect, Michael Ayodele, was arrested in Mushin where 164kg of skunk was recovered.
In Ekiti State, the agency made the single largest seizure of Loud and Colorado, potent strains of cannabis, in the state. Operatives stormed Nova Street, Ado-Ekiti, and recovered 5.3kg of Loud and Colorado and 2.5g of methamphetamine from a 42-year-old kingpin, Ajayi Ayodeji Idowu, a.k.a Atiku.
Meanwhile, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization efforts across the country, with advocacy visits and lectures in schools, worship centers, workplaces, palaces, and communities.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.), commended officers in all commands for their resilience, arrests, seizures, and intensified sensitization campaigns.