The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded another breakthrough in its relentless war against narcotics, arresting two alleged drug kingpins, Victor Nwosa and Felix Chika Obiegbu, after consignments of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine were recovered from their Lagos homes.
The arrests, made by operatives of the NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit (SOU) following weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering, exposed the elaborate drug networks allegedly run by the suspects.
According to the Agency, 64-year-old Nwosa, who posed as a textile merchant, was arrested on September 17, 2025 at his residence on 16 Femi Kila Street, Okota, Lagos, where 4.33 kilograms of heroin and 448 grams of cocaine were recovered. Meanwhile, 49-year-old Obiegbu, a wine distributor, was arrested on September 11, 2025, at 5 Shada Shonefun Street, Aguda Surulere, where operatives seized 2.902 kilograms of methamphetamine.
“Beneath their outward appearance as businessmen lay their hidden illicit drug business unearthed by NDLEA operatives,” the Agency said.
NDLEA also disrupted attempts by traffickers to supply illicit drugs to terrorists and bandits in the Northeast. In Borno State, operatives arrested 26-year-old Baba Kaka Ibrahim on September 27, 2025 at Njimtilo village while driving a Mercedes Benz GLK towards Damaturu. Drugs concealed in the engine compartment included 39,380 pills of tramadol and exol-5.
On the same day in Yobe State, operatives intercepted Halima Adamu along Damaturu-Maiduguri road with 1.4kg of Colorado hidden in her traveling bag. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of another suspect, Habiba Muhammad, at her Baga Road residence in Maiduguri.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives arrested Aliyu Sani, 27, and Yahaya Tata, 26, along Zaria-Kano road with 30,030 tramadol pills. In Bayelsa, three suspects — Friday Elebechi, 35; Tobin Godgift, 30; and Aya Clement, 30 — were apprehended at Swali jetty on September 22 with 12kg of skunk and 50 cartridges.
An ex-convict, Femi Owoeye, aka Do Good, 45, was arrested in Ekiti State on September 25 with 32kg of skunk and 10.5g of tramadol. Owoeye had previously served a three-year sentence in 2016 for a similar offence.
In Kaduna, NDLEA arrested Adedamola Olayeni, 56, with 262.6kg of skunk hidden in his Honda Pilot jeep at the Abuja-Kaduna tollgate on September 22. Another suspect, Zubairu Haruna, 30, was caught with 506g of methamphetamine, while a follow-up operation in Gombe led to the arrest of the intended receiver, Babangida Mohammed, 25.
Further arrests included three suspects in Lagos with 85,100 pills of tramadol on September 22, and Opeyemi Ogundipe, 40, in Abuja with 2.1kg of Colorado the next day.
In Edo State, NDLEA destroyed massive cannabis farms in Uromi forest, Esan West LGA, and Ogu forest, Igueben LGA, weighing over 24,000kg of skunk. Operatives also intercepted a truck conveying 1,025kg of cannabis concealed in charcoal sacks on Wareke-Auchi road, arresting Kabiru Abdulahi, 35, and Anas Safiyanu, 20.
Beyond enforcement, NDLEA commands nationwide continued advocacy under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, holding sensitization lectures in schools, communities, and religious centers across Oyo, Enugu, Katsina, Kano, Lagos, and Kogi States.
Commending the operatives, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), said the operations underscored the Agency’s determination to safeguard Nigeria from the threats of narcotics.
“The success of the various operations across the country underscores our commitment to safeguarding Nigeria from illicit substances that threaten public health and national security. Every gram of these dangerous drugs we seize and remove from our streets reinforces our determination to protect our youths, disrupt criminal networks, and strengthen national security,” Marwa declared.
The NDLEA vowed to sustain its dual strategy of drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction, combining tough enforcement with continuous public enlightenment.
