The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide clampdown on drug trafficking networks, arresting a wanted drug baron in Lagos and intercepting several large consignments of cannabis, tramadol, and other illegal substances across multiple states.
The agency announced the arrests and seizures on Sunday in a statement released by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, who said the operations were part of sustained efforts to dismantle major drug syndicates responsible for distributing narcotics across Nigeria.
One of the major breakthroughs came with the arrest of 42-year-old Frank Chijioke Ibemesi, also known as Chisco Bee. The NDLEA described him as a major drug baron who had been under surveillance for weeks. According to the agency, Ibemesi ran his criminal operations under the guise of being a businessman and hotelier, serving as the MD/CEO of Franc CJ Ibemesi Nigeria Ltd.
He was arrested at his Daisy Garden Hotel located at Ago Palace Way in Isolo, Lagos, during a coordinated raid by NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit. Following his arrest, operatives took him to his warehouse at Pius Ezeobi Street in the same area.
There, the agency recovered 42 jumbo bags and four cartons of Loud, a high-grade strain of cannabis, weighing 1,762.8 kilograms. Cash found on him during the arrest included $11,600, £2,000, €2,200, and 50 Canadian dollars, which the agency believes were proceeds of drug trafficking.
NDLEA officials said Ibemesi’s arrest would disrupt major drug distribution networks in Lagos and neighboring states, noting that he had operated for years while posing as a legitimate businessman.
In another major operation, NDLEA operatives raided a forest reserve in Araromi-Okeodo, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State. The forest, which had become a hub for cannabis cultivation and processing, was monitored for days before the agency moved in to block the movement of drugs out of the area.
Officials said the syndicate was preparing to distribute 11,135 kilograms of processed skunk nationwide when the NDLEA struck. Two trucks — a Volvo and a Mercedes — used for transporting the drugs were seized during the operation. Seven suspects were arrested, including:
Lucky Abiodun
Julius Amos
Victor Ngbikili
Sunday Oduegwu
Ibrahim Akanni
Eze Godstime
Fred Ifeanyichukwu
The Osun operation is one of the largest cannabis interceptions recorded by the NDLEA in recent months.
Edo, Ogun, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Lagos, Kwara: More Arrests and Recoveries
Across other states, NDLEA operatives continued their anti-drug operations with multiple arrests and seizures.
In Edo State, a total of 1,902.1 kilograms of skunk was seized:
184.1kg recovered along the Oza/Igbanke bush path in Orhionmwon LGA
672kg evacuated from the Utese forest in Ovia North East LGA
494kg seized from a Mercedes Benz car on the Benin-Akure road, where a 45-year-old suspect, Felix Edah, was arrested
552kg seized from another Mercedes Benz driven by 51-year-old Lucky Abagha
In Ogun State, four suspects — Michael Okoh, Offor Agada, Raphael Nkemjika, and Nwabueze Franklin — were arrested along the Ijebu-Ode expressway with 68kg of skunk and 3.150kg of methamphetamine.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives arrested Danjuma Tukura, 50, with 172kg of skunk in the Sunkani area of Ardo Kola LGA. Another suspect, 24-year-old Wisdom Titus, was arrested with 84kg of the same substance in Takum.
At the Aliyu Mustapha International Airport, Yola, in Adamawa State, operatives recovered 396,000 capsules of tramadol from Ahmed Isyaku Nda, 50. Tramadol abuse remains a major public health concern in Nigeria, especially among young people.
In Nasarawa State, NDLEA officers stormed the warehouse of a drug dealer, currently on the run, and evacuated 785kg of skunk at Asob Maraba Karu.
Lagos also recorded more arrests, apart from the capture of the drug baron. In Surulere, two suspects — Jamiu Kunle Kardoso and Oriyomi Waliu — were arrested with 130 pouches of Canadian Loud, weighing 65.150kg. Another suspect, Taofeek Moraina, was arrested at Otto, Oyingbo, with 282 blocks of Ghana Loud, weighing 141kg.
In Kwara State, NDLEA intercepted a truck transporting 197 blocks of skunk weighing 78.565kg and 155 cartons of rubber solutions along the Ilorin–Jebba expressway. The driver, Umar Yakubu, was arrested.
In another Kwara operation, a commercial bus was stopped at Eiyenkorin, Ilorin, where 20 blocks of skunk hidden inside a 50-litre jerrycan were discovered. The driver, Ibrahim Bello, was taken into custody.
The NDLEA has been carrying out large-scale operations since 2021 under the leadership of its Chairman and Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), who has pushed a “balanced approach” that combines law enforcement with drug education, rehabilitation, and prevention campaigns.
General Marwa has often stated that drug abuse fuels insecurity, including kidnapping, armed robbery, insurgency, and cultism. Because of this, the agency has expanded its intelligence-led operations to target major traffickers, international couriers, and local distribution networks.
In his statement on Sunday, Marwa praised officers in the Special Operations Unit as well as those in Osun, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Kwara Commands for their commitment and achievements in the past week.
He urged them not to relent, saying the drug war requires constant vigilance.
He said: “I commend all our officers and men involved in these arrests and seizures. I encourage them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to drug control.”
Marwa added that the agency remains determined to break drug supply chains, shut down illegal drug farms, dismantle local and international trafficking networks, and bring offenders to justice.
The NDLEA has grown more active in recent years, recording record-breaking drug seizures including the 2021 interception of over 194 billion naira worth of cocaine in Lagos, one of the largest in Africa’s history.
The agency has also increased border surveillance, airport screening, and intelligence operations across states. Its work has earned support from both local and international partners, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
