The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its war on illicit drugs with a string of major arrests and seizures across multiple states, leading to the arrest of top drug traffickers, destruction of a massive cannabis farm, and interception of hundreds of thousands of illicit pills.
Among those arrested was a 75-year-old grandfather, Uchelue Ikechukwu, caught with 26.7kg of skunk at Umudioka in Dunukofia Local Government Area, Anambra State, on Thursday, August 28, 2025. He was one of six suspects arrested in various parts of Anambra with drugs ranging from skunk to opioids.
Others arrested in Anambra include Eneh Makuo, Emmanuel Chiemeli, Uwakwe Matthew, Chukwujekwu Ehirim, Ifeanyichukwu Olisa, and Odoh Chukwuma—all found in possession of illegal substances in Nkwelle and Amichi areas.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives, supported by the Nigerian Army and local security groups, stormed a 71.5-hectare cannabis farm in Mayodoga forest, Sardauna Local Government Area, where they destroyed 178,750 kilograms of skunk. The farm owner, 30-year-old Alfa Andrew, was arrested with a Dane gun on Tuesday, August 26.
In Kaduna, a major drug shipment meant for insurgents was intercepted at the Abuja-Kaduna tollgate on Friday, August 29. Officers found 104,900 capsules of tramadol hidden in the driver’s compartment of a fuel tanker. A suspect, Hassan Buba, was arrested immediately. Another suspect, Kabir Sulaiman (45), was arrested with 34.15kg of skunk at Gwargwaje-Zaria checkpoint the next day.
Meanwhile, a major drug supplier in Borno State, Uchenna Umeh, 33, was arrested in Maiduguri on Saturday, August 30, shortly after receiving a supply from Onitsha. NDLEA recovered 30,640 tramadol pills, 7,940 rohypnol tablets, and ₦7.99 million in cash, all in new ₦200 notes from his apartment in the Pompomary area.
In Nasarawa State, Abubakar Dauda (36) was arrested with 79,040 pills of tramadol and diazepam at Abacha Park in Mararaba Karu. Days earlier, Babangida Tungura (47) was arrested in Lafia with over 30,000 pills of tramadol and rohypnol and 38 bottles of codeine hidden in a freezer.
In Adamawa, 23-year-old Mohammed Ali was arrested after his consignment of 15,000 tramadol capsules concealed in sacks of animal feed was intercepted at Gombe mega park. Another suspect, Hamisu Abdullahi, was also arrested in Yola after 58kg of skunk was found hidden in pepper sacks in a car from Gombe.
In Kano State, NDLEA arrested Ashiru Garba (20) and Aminu Abdu (22) along Kano-Hadeja road with 1.5kg of skunk and 25,000 pills of exol-5. Also, Ali Muhammad (37) and Muhammad Maishanu (42) were arrested with 8,080 bottles of new psychoactive substances and 25.7kg of skunk along Zaria-Kano road. On Saturday, 250,000 tablets of exol-5 were seized from Alhasaan Musa (25) in Ungogo LGA.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers patrolling the Ewu-Auchi road in Etsako West intercepted a commercial bus carrying 64,250 tramadol pills from Onitsha to Okene. Mohammed Halidu (36) was arrested.
In Ondo State, two men—Elves Odogwu (45) and David Jeremiah (35)—were arrested on Wednesday, August 27, in Queen Elizabeth, Aponmu Reserved Camp, with 117.5kg of processed cannabis.
Lagos State operatives raided the Mushin area and recovered 164kg of skunk from the hideout of Michael Ayodele, who was arrested on August 30.
In what the NDLEA described as the biggest seizure of Loud and Colorado in Ekiti State, Ajayi Ayodeji Idowu (aka Atiku) was arrested in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, August 29. Recovered from him were 5.3kg of Loud and Colorado and 2.5g of methamphetamine.
Across all states, the NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, holding sensitization programmes in schools, churches, palaces, and communities. These included lectures for students at Ezechima Primary School in Onitsha, youths of Anglican Church Diocese in Abakaliki, and advocacy visits to traditional rulers and public institutions in Lagos and Ogun States.
Commending the agency’s field officers, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the teams in Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo, and Edo States for their successful raids, seizures, and arrests. He also applauded continued efforts in spreading anti-drug messages through the WADA initiative.
“These victories send a strong signal that drug traffickers and dealers have nowhere to hide,” Marwa stated.
