NDLEA Arrests Two Octogenarians, Others Over Illicit Drug Dealings
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two octogenarians for their involvement in illicit drug dealing offences.
The anti-narcotics agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this on Sunday, also added that opioids worth over N3.2billion were intercepted at Apapa seaport in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state.
One of the octogenarians, 80-year-old grandpa, Ayuba Ashiru, an ex-convict, had previously been arrested and prosecuted by NDLEA for drug dealing offences and served a 10-year jail term between 2014 and 2024.
He was again arrested on Wednesday 14th May 2025 at Barazana street, Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari LGA, Kaduna State by officers of the agency acting on credible intelligence. A total of 2.3kilograms of skunk packaged in nylons and papers in retail sizes were recovered from him. He claimed to have been in the illicit drug trade for the past 46 years.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Abia state on Saturday 17th May, raided the home of 82-year-old Uloma Uchechi Sunday at Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village where different quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol and skunk, a strain of cannabis as well as a cash exhibit of N130,600 were recovered from her and her daughter, 32-year-old Chisom Uchechi. The grandma confessed that she and her daughter took over the drug trade after her son who started the business died two years ago.
Babafemi further disclosed that at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers state, a total of three million (3,000,000) pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal 225mg worth N2.1billion in street value were intercepted in one of the containers watch-listed by the Agency based on intelligence. The seizure was made on Wednesday 14th May during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies.
In like manner, NDLEA operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Tuesday 13th May intercepted another watch-listed container declared to have new car parts and accessories from India. During a joint examination with other security agencies, a total of 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1billion in street value were discovered concealed in the shipment.
NDLEA operatives on patrol along Abuja – Kaduna highway on Friday 16th May intercepted a 29-year-old Ismail Isah with an AK 47 rifle and two magazines concealed in a sack of maize. According to Babafemi, he will be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Abia, Kaduna, PHIPC Apapa, Lagos and other commands where various arrests and seizures were made, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
