The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two elderly men, aged 83 and 78, for alleged drug trafficking in Abia State and Ekiti State, as part of a nationwide crackdown on illicit drug activities.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, noting that the suspects were among several arrests recorded in recent operations.
According to Babafemi, the 83-year-old suspect was apprehended on April 28 during a raid at Samek by Powerline in Aba, following credible intelligence linking him to drug distribution.
“At the time of his arrest, 700 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets, were recovered from him.
“The octogenarian claimed he was a professional shoemaker before delving into the illicit drug trade,” he said.
In a similar operation, NDLEA operatives in Ekiti arrested a 78-year-old man on April 30 at his residence in Ilupeju-Ekiti, where 350 grams of the same substance were recovered.
Babafemi said the arrests were part of ongoing efforts to dismantle drug networks across the country.
In Oyo State, the agency also arrested two women linked to the seizure of 1.925 kilograms of “Colorado,” a synthetic cannabis. One suspect was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while transporting the consignment, while the second was arrested at Iwo Road, Ibadan, during a follow-up operation as she attempted to collect the drugs.
In another major breakthrough, NDLEA operatives arrested a wanted drug dealer in Ibadan on May 2 after months on the run. He was apprehended alongside an associate at his residence in the Erunmu area of the city.
“Two of his associates had been arrested on December 8 and are currently being prosecuted at a Federal High Court in Ibadan.
“At the time of his arrest, 3.085 kilograms of skunk and a Toyota Camry car marked EPE 299 JZ were recovered from him,” Babafemi added.
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said it has intensified its anti-drug advocacy campaigns nationwide, targeting schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities.
Recent sensitisation efforts were carried out in institutions including Day Secondary School, Edozhigi in Niger State; Khulafa’ul Rashidun Islamiyya in Kano; and Community Secondary School, Akweze in Anambra, as well as among commercial motorcyclists in Lagos and members of NAPPMED in Edo State.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to both enforcement and prevention as it continues its war against drug abuse across Nigeria.
