Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA have arrested a former councillor in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, after recovering 40 kilograms of illicit drugs from his residence, as the agency recorded multiple drug seizures and arrests across the country.
The suspect, Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, 45, who previously served two terms as councillor representing Orimedu community in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area and currently works as a legislative aide, was arrested on Monday, March 2, 2026.
According to a statement signed by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the arrest followed credible intelligence linking the former council official to illicit drug trafficking.
Babafemi disclosed that NDLEA operatives raided Olalekan’s residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki, where a search uncovered 40kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, hidden in one of the rooms.
“The 45-year-old ex-local council chief who currently serves as a legislative aide was arrested on Monday, March 2, 2026, at his residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos where a search was conducted and 40 kilograms of skunk were recovered from one of his rooms,” Babafemi stated.
He added that the suspect admitted ownership of both the drugs and the property where they were discovered.
In a separate operation in the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA officers on March 3 intercepted a 32-year-old businessman, Emeka Hyginus Okwor, in a vehicle travelling from Obollo-Afor in Enugu State to Zuba in Abuja.
Babafemi said a search of the suspect’s luggage revealed 1,000 pills of Tapentadol 250mg concealed inside baby diapers.
“The suspect admitted ownership and revealed that he was taking the consignment to Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, where he operates a provision store,” he said.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives along the Kabba–Obajana highway in Kogi State intercepted a commercial bus conveying a consignment of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 1.55kg, hidden inside a standing fan carton.
The consignment was traced to a 36-year-old Cameroonian national, Mey Ali Muhamat, who was travelling from Lagos to Cameroon through Lokoja, Kano and Maiduguri.
In Niger State, operatives on patrol along the Mokwa–Jebba road intercepted a commercial bus transporting 500 components used for improvised explosive devices concealed inside a sack. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, Osama Abdullahi, 21, in Pelegi, Mashegu Local Government Area.
Further seizures were recorded in Adamawa State, where NDLEA operatives in Yola discovered 122,000 pills of tramadol and 700 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the false bottom of a truck carrying 2,000 cartons of local drinks.
In Kano State, a 20-year-old suspect, Muhammed Ali, was arrested with 11,283 pills of tramadol at Gadar Tamburawa, while two suspects, Nazifi Mudansir and Kabiru Musa, were apprehended during a raid in Ogere, Ogun State, with 46 kilograms of skunk.
Similarly, in Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested Joy Chukwuma, 25, and Eugene Felix, 22, in Ogwashi-Uku with 18.63kg of skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine-based syrup and 4,268 pills of tramadol and swinol.
In Edo State, two suspects, Eke London, 48, and Austin Isusi, 49, were arrested in Egbisi forest in Uhumwonde Local Government Area where NDLEA operatives destroyed 1,910.25kg of skunk cultivated on two farms.
Another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, 47, was also arrested in Ikhin town, Owan East Local Government Area, with 176.50kg of skunk.
Babafemi noted that the agency’s commands across the country also intensified public sensitisation campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative in schools, workplaces, religious centres and communities.
These included awareness lectures at Government Senior College Apata in Ibadan, Government Girls Secondary School Katcha in Niger State, Government Girls Day Secondary School Tsafe in Zamfara State, and Sango Junior Secondary School in Agege, Lagos, among others.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across several state commands for their efforts in combating drug trafficking.
“He enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency,” Babafemi stated.
