Two elderly men, aged 84 and 75, have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly supplying illegal drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia State.
The suspects, identified as 84-year-old Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora, are currently in NDLEA custody and are expected to face prosecution.
Obiora was arrested on Friday, June 19, 2026, after intelligence reports linked him to the sale of illicit drugs from his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road, Umuahia. During a search of the premises, NDLEA operatives recovered 4.64 kilograms of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
In a separate incident, Orji, a pensioner, was apprehended at Saint Silas Secondary School in Old Umuahia after he was allegedly caught supplying drugs to two students. Security personnel at the school detained him before handing him over to the police, who subsequently transferred the case to the NDLEA on June 18.
One of the students, a 15-year-old SS2 pupil, reportedly admitted that Orji supplied him with drugs, which he both consumed and sold to other students.
While the two elderly suspects await prosecution, the affected students have been enrolled in counselling and rehabilitation programmes.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives intercepted a shipment of ADB-Chminaca, a highly dangerous synthetic cannabinoid, at a courier company in Lagos. The 9.5-kilogram consignment, which originated from China, was concealed inside a carton.
In another operation, officers discovered 300 grams of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, hidden inside ladies’ handbags at a Lagos-based logistics company.
The agency also raided the residence of a wanted drug dealer, Lukman Badmus, popularly known as Lukman Ogombo, in the Ogombo area of Ajah, Lagos. During the operation, officers recovered nine bottles of codeine syrup and 30 grams of skunk.
A follow-up search at his wife’s shop in the Patey area of Lagos Island led to the recovery of two additional bottles of codeine and various drug-related items. Operatives also uncovered 42 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 22.5 kilograms inside a minibus parked outside the shop.
According to the NDLEA, Badmus’ wife, Aisha Saraki, attempted to destroy evidence by flushing some items down a toilet but was prevented from doing so by officers.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on routine patrol along the OkeneโLokoja highway arrested 33-year-old Tochukwu Onah, who was travelling from Lagos to Abuja with 1.03 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside custard containers.
Meanwhile, in Ekiti State, a couple, James Tony Chukwudi, 48, and James Kehinde, 35, who had been wanted since the seizure of 117 kilograms of skunk in March 2026, were arrested after months on the run. The suspects were tracked down at Oniyo Street in Efon-Alaaye.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 75-year-old Tudun Olubiyi alongside Nasiru Buhari, 22, and Buba Musa, 47, during a raid on a house in the Dangote area of Elekara, Oyo Town. Officers recovered 118 jumbo bags containing 1,416 kilograms of skunk hidden beneath sawdust.
In Edo State, 45-year-old Patrick Imoukhede was arrested following a raid on Khagba Forest in Ikao, Owan East Local Government Area. During the operation, 1,744.075 kilograms of skunk were destroyed, while 169 kilograms of processed cannabis were recovered.
Another raid at Ebora Camp in Ilushi, Esan South-East LGA, resulted in the destruction of 2,424.945 kilograms of cannabis. Officers also arrested 45-year-old Augustine Anyamone and recovered 395 kilograms of skunk.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign across the country, carrying out sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities.
The awareness campaign reached several institutions, including Orun Community Grammar School in Ekiti State, Government Girls Secondary School in Kano, Federal Technical College in Nasarawa, Tafida Community Secondary School in Katsina, and Government Technical College in Anambra State.
The Rivers State Command also paid an advocacy visit to the Paramount Ruler of Rumuogba Kingdom, HRH Barrister Temple Ejekwu, as part of efforts to strengthen community involvement in the fight against drug abuse.
Commending the agency’s recent successes, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised officers across Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Kogi, and Edo states for their commitment and urged them to sustain the momentum in both enforcement operations and public awareness campaigns.
