Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a massive consignment of opioids concealed in a truck transporting building materials to Taraba State, while also arresting a 75-year-old suspected drug dealer in Ebonyi State and several notorious traffickers in coordinated operations across the country.
The nationwide crackdown, which targeted major drug trafficking networks in Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano and Gombe states, led to the seizure of hundreds of thousands of opioid capsules, illicit substances and the arrest of multiple suspects, including four female drug dealers.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, operatives recorded a major breakthrough in Taraba State after intercepting a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Jalingo.
The operation, carried out on Saturday, June 6, followed credible intelligence that prompted a detailed search of the vehicle at the Nukkai Timber Shade area of Jalingo.
During the operation, NDLEA officers discovered a large cache of drugs hidden beneath the cargo and arrested a 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi.
Items recovered from the truck included 320,840 capsules of tramadol, 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 4,500 tablets of rohypnol and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
In Ebonyi State, operatives arrested a 75-year-old suspect, identified as Okebe Samuel, during a raid in Okposi community.
The agency said the elderly suspect was found with 300 grams of skunk allegedly packaged for retail distribution to youths within the area.
“Demonstrating that age is no barrier to the enforcement of the law, NDLEA operatives in Ebonyi State tracked down and arrested a 75-year-old grandpa, Okebe Samuel, at Okposi,” the statement said.
The anti-narcotics agency also recorded significant successes in Imo, Edo, Kano and Gombe states.
In Imo State, officers raided a known drug enclave in Umulolo, Orlu, leading to the arrest of a suspected female drug dealer, Chioma Okeke, 32, and the recovery of eight kilograms of skunk.
In Edo State, a major operation across drug hotspots in Benin City resulted in the arrest of four suspected traffickers, including three women.
At Uyosa, Benin City, two suspects, Chioma Igba, 24, and Precious Ozomah, 22, were arrested with quantities of skunk, Loud and methamphetamine.
Another suspect, Anita Abraham, 21, was apprehended along Agbor Road with 95 grams of Scottish Loud and 329 grams of regular Loud.
A male suspect, Henry Okey, 43, was also arrested at Upper Mission with various psychotropic substances, including Loud, Colorado, Swinol and methamphetamine.
In Kano State, operatives arrested a 19-year-old suspect, Saifullahi Lawan, in the Kafi area of Madobi and recovered 40 blocks of skunk weighing 38 kilograms.
Similarly, in Gombe State, NDLEA officers intercepted 28-year-old Ugwu Sabastine Ifebuchi near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area of the state capital, where he was found in possession of 15,000 capsules of tramadol.
Beyond enforcement activities, the agency said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across the country.
The advocacy programme featured awareness lectures delivered to students and staff of schools in Oyo, Lagos, Anambra and Kano states as part of efforts to curb drug abuse among young people.
Reacting to the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers and men of the agency for their vigilance and commitment in combating illicit drug trafficking.
Marwa specifically praised operatives in Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano and Gombe states for their resilience and professionalism.
He reiterated the agency’s determination to dismantle drug trafficking networks across the country.
“The agency remains fully committed to dismantling drug supply chains and will continue to target traffickers regardless of age, gender, or concealment methods,” Marwa stated.
The NDLEA boss also applauded commands nationwide for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction operations and public sensitisation efforts aimed at preventing substance abuse.
