Two Octogenarians Among Suspects Arrested As NDLEA Seizes Opioids Worth Over N3.2b

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TWO elderly individuals – 80-year-old Ayuba Ashiru and 82-year-old Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday—alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, were among several suspects apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during nationwide raids.

Meanwhile, the Agency intercepted opioids valued at over N3.2 billion at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos and the Port Harcourt port in Onne, Rivers State.

Ayuba Ashiru, previously convicted for drug trafficking and imprisoned for ten years from 2014 to 2024, was re-arrested on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at Barazana Street, Dogarawa in Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA officers found him in possession of 2.3 kilograms of skunk, neatly packaged in nylon and paper for retail distribution. Ashiru admitted to being involved in the drug trade for the past 46 years.

Similarly, on Saturday, May 17, NDLEA operatives in Abia State raided the home of Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday in Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village. They recovered various quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol, and skunk—a potent cannabis strain—as well as N130,600 in cash. Mrs. Sunday and her daughter, Chisom, confessed that they had continued the drug trade after her son, who originally started the business, passed away two years ago.

At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, NDLEA agents—working jointly with Customs and other security agencies—intercepted a container flagged through intelligence. Inside were three million tablets of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal 225mg, with an estimated street value of N2.1 billion. The seizure occurred during a joint inspection on Wednesday, May 14.

In a similar operation at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos on Tuesday, May 13, a container declared to contain new car parts and accessories from India was searched. Hidden within were 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup, with a street value exceeding N1.1 billion.

In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives arrested Abdulwahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail on Friday, May 16, in the Gegele area of Ilorin, seizing 199,200 pills of tramadol. A follow-up raid at Favour Lodge in the state capital led to the arrest of Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef, an HND 1 student in the Department of Laboratory Science Technology at Kwara State Polytechnic. He was found with 650 grams of Loud, a potent cannabis variant, pre-packaged in 149 cups for sale to fellow students.

At a courier service facility in Lagos, officers from NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted 250 grams of cocaine concealed inside a female headwrap destined for Australia. The operation occurred on Friday, May 16.

In Niger State, NDLEA agents patrolling the Mokwa-Jebba road on Thursday, May 15, stopped a Toyota Carina with plate number AGL 945 BK. The vehicle was transporting 316 blocks of skunk weighing 143kg. The driver, Idris Kamal, 35, was taken into custody. That same day, at Chachi Junction on Kaduna Road, officers arrested Emmanuel Hassan, 26, with 14.3kg of Loud. A swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of Bello Aliyu (alias Liti), 39, identified as the true owner of the consignment.

Also on Friday, May 16, in Karu, Nasarawa State, NDLEA officers arrested 60-year-old Welman Kengbo with 594.8kg of skunk. In another operation, Oyenuga Toheeb was arrested on Thursday, May 15, along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos with 67.5kg of the same drug.

In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives recovered 5,350 tablets of tramadol and diazepam from 22-year-old Shafiu Ismail during an arrest on Thursday, May 15, at Sabonlayin in Jalingo Local Government Area. On the same day in Jigawa State, 35-year-old Tijjani Mohammed was arrested with 198kg of skunk at Malamawa, Garki LGA.

Meanwhile, NDLEA personnel patrolling the Abuja-Kaduna highway on Friday, May 16, intercepted 29-year-old Ismail Isah. Hidden inside a sack of maize, officers discovered an AK-47 rifle and two loaded magazines. He is being transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign also continued during the week. Sensitization lectures were delivered to students and staff at several schools, including Supreme International School in Fagge, Kano; Al-Arifeen International Academy in Kaduna; Nadado Primary School in Bakori, Katsina; Ila Orangun Grammar School in Osun State; and Government Secondary School in Onne, Rivers State, among others.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the efforts of the officers and personnel of DOGI, as well as those in Abia, Kaduna, Kwara, Port Harcourt, Apapa, Lagos, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Taraba, and Niger Commands. He also praised all commands nationwide for maintaining a balanced approach to both drug supply suppression and demand reduction initiatives.