Two Octogenarians Arrested As NDLEA Intercepts N3.2bn Opioids

Two octogenarians, an 80-year-old grandpa, Ayuba Ashiru, and 82-year-old grandma, Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday, as well as her daughter Chisom Uchechi, 32, top the list of suspects arrested by op­eratives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in raids carried out across the coun­try while opioids worth over N3.2 billion were intercepted at Apapa seaport in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers State.

A statement by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Spokesman, on Sunday, said Ayuba had previously been arrestedandprosecutedbyNDLEA for drug dealing offences, was con­victed and served 10-year jail term between 2014 and 2024.

It said he was again arrested on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at Baraz­ana Street, Dogarawa area of Sa­bon Gari LGA, Kaduna State, by NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence.

A total of 2.3 kilogrammes of skunk packaged in nylons and pa­pers in retail sizes were recovered from him.

He claimed to have been in the il­licit drug trade for the past 46 years.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Abia State on Saturday, May 17, raided the home of 82-year-old Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday at Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village where different quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol and skunk, a strain of cannabis as well as a cash exhibit of N130,600 were recovered from her and her daugh­ter, 32-year-old Chisom Uchechi.

The grandma confessed that she and her daughter took over the drug trade after her son who started the business died two years ago.

At the Port Harcourt Ports com­plex in Onne, Rivers State, a total of three million (3,000,000) pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal 225mg worth N2.1 billion in street value were intercepted in one of the containers watch-listed by the agency based on intelligence.

The seizure was made on Wednesday, May 14, during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agen­cies.

In like manner, NDLEA opera­tives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Tuesday, May 13, intercepted another watch-listed container de­clared to have new car parts and ac­cessories from India. During a joint examination with other security agencies, a total of 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1 billion in street value were discov­ered concealed in the shipment.

In Kwara State, no fewer than 199,200 pills of tramadol were re­covered from two suspects, Abdul­wahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail, on Friday, May 16, following their arrest at Gegele area of Ilorin by NDLEA operatives who also raided Favour Lodge in the state capital where an HND 1 student of the Department of Laboratory Science Technology, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef, was arrested with 650 grammes of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis already measured in 149 cups, which he sells to other students.

At a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investi­gation (DOGI) on Friday, May 16, in­tercepted 250 grammes of cocaine concealed in female headgear going to Australia.

In Niger State, NDLEA opera­tives on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road on Thursday, May 15, inter­cepted a Toyota Carina car marked AGL945BKconveying316blocksof skunk weighing 143kg while a sus­pect, Idris Kamal, 35, was arrested.

Same day, operatives on patrol at Chachi junction along Kaduna road arrested Emmanuel Hassan, 26, with 14.3kg Loud. A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Bello Aliyu (alias Liti), 39.

While a 60-year-old suspect, Welman Kengbo, was nabbed by NDLEA officers with 594.8kg skunk at Karu area of Nasarawa State on Friday, May 16, another suspect, Oyenuga Toheeb, was ar­rested along Lekki/Epe express­way, Lagos, on Thursday, May 15, with 67.5kg of the same psychoac­tive substance.

In Taraba State, 5,350 pills of tramadolanddiazepamwererecov­ered from a suspect, Shafiu Ismail, 22, when he was arrested on Thurs­day, May 15, at Sabonlayin, Jalingo LGA, while Tijjani Mohammed, 35, was nabbed with 198kg skunk at Malamawa, Garki LGA, Jigawa State same day.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives onpatrolalong Abuja-Kadunahigh­way on Friday, May 16, intercepted a 29-year-old Ismail Isah with an AK-47 rifle and two magazines concealed in a sack of maize.

He will be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Abia, Kaduna, Kwara, PHIPC, Apapa, Lagos, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Taraba, and Niger commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Exec­utive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.