The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of opioids and other illicit substances concealed in building materials in a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks, leading to the arrest of a 75-year-old man in Ebonyi State and several other suspects across the country.
The agency said the coordinated operations also led to the arrest of four notorious female drug dealers in Edo, Imo, Kano, and Gombe States, as well as multiple seizures of tramadol, codeine-based syrup, rohypnol, skunk, and methamphetamine.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that a major breakthrough was recorded in Taraba State on Saturday, June 6, 2026, following credible intelligence that led operatives to intercept a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Jalingo.
According to him, a detailed search conducted at Nukkai Timber Shade, Jalingo, revealed a large stash of opioids carefully concealed beneath the cargo.
He said a 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was arrested in connection with the shipment.
Recovered from the truck were 320,840 capsules of tramadol, 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 4,500 pills of rohypnol, and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
Babafemi also confirmed the arrest of a 75-year-old man in Ebonyi State.
“NDLEA operatives in Ebonyi State tracked down and arrested a 75-year-old grandpa, Okebe Samuel, at Okposi. The septuagenarian was found in possession of 300 grams of skunk, which he sells in retail sachets to youths in his community,” he said.
In Imo State, NDLEA officers raided a drug hideout at Umulolo, Orlu, where a notorious female dealer, Chioma Okeke (32), was arrested and 8 kilograms of skunk recovered.
In Edo State, a coordinated sweep of drug hotspots in Benin City on June 2, 2026, led to the arrest of four traffickers, including three women.
At Uyosa, operatives arrested Chioma Igba (24) and Precious Ozomah (22) with 176 grams of skunk, 65 grams of Loud, and 5 grams of methamphetamine.
Along Agbor Road, another suspect, Anita Abraham (21), was arrested with 95 grams of Scottish Loud and 329 grams of Loud, while at Upper Mission, Benin City, Henry Okey (43) was arrested with a mix of illicit substances including Loud, Colorado, Swinol, and methamphetamine.
In Kano State, NDLEA operatives on June 4, 2026, arrested a 19-year-old suspect, Saifullahi Lawan, in the Kafi area of Madobi with 40 blocks of skunk weighing 38 kilograms.
The agency said the operations reflect its ongoing nationwide offensive against drug cartels exploiting commercial transport routes and urban networks to distribute illicit substances across the country.
