By Jane Okafor, Abuja
A 93-year-old great-grandfather and a 69-year-old medical doctor are among suspects arrested as operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intensified their crackdown on drug cartels and collaborators through intelligence-led operations nationwide.
In one such operation, a nonagenarian, Pa Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, was arrested at his home in Umuagbaigba, Amavo Nkwogu village, Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. A search of his residence led to the recovery of 7.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
The suspect said he previously worked as a truck pusher before learning painting and tiling, and later ventured into the illicit drug trade over a year ago. He also claimed he had been smoking skunk since 1959 before turning it into a business.
Efforts to dismantle a local network linked to an international drug syndicate led to the arrest of an Ivorian, Gohouri Michael, 41, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, with 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49kg. This was followed by the arrest of a 69-year-old medical doctor, Dr. Chudi Daniel Ofomata, in a follow-up operation in Ogun State.
Michael Gohouri, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, was arrested on Monday, February 16, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Milan, Malpensa via Addis Ababa.
Investigations revealed that Gohouri arrived in Lagos from Milan, Italy, on January 17, 2026, and shuttled between Lagos and Enugu for three weeks before travelling to Kano, where he ingested the cocaine consignment in a hotel room. He was to be paid €5,000 upon delivery in Milan.
Further NDLEA investigations uncovered that Gohouri was being directed by a hidden accomplice, later identified as Dr. Ofomata. He was tracked to his residence at Teachers’ Land Estate, Magboro, Obafemi Owode LGA of Ogun State, where he was arrested on March 27, 2026, and subsequently flown to Kano on April 7. Recovered from him were 63 grams of promazepam and seven ampoules of promethazine injection.
In Ogun State, three suspects—Azeez Sanni, Olayinka Oke, and Adekunle Adeyemi—were arrested with 34 kilograms of skunk during a raid at Sango Under Bridge, Sango Ota, on April 7. Similarly, 56.2 kilograms of the same substance were recovered from a 26-year-old female suspect, Ayoka Akinwale, along the Onitsha–Owerri Road in Imo State on April 11.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on April 9 arrested a couple, Abdullahi Umar, 32, and his wife, Adama Umar, 25, after 118 kilograms of skunk were discovered in their kitchen in Takuti village, Lapai LGA.
In Borno State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Damaturu–Maiduguri Road intercepted a trailer conveying vehicle spare parts from Nnewi, Anambra State. Recovered from the vehicle were 42,290 tablets of Rohypnol, 82,700ml of codeine syrup, and 10,000ml of pentazocine injection. The owner of the consignment, Eleje Ibeabuchi, 43, was arrested in a follow-up operation.
In Lagos, operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a Chisco Transport luxury bus marked AGU 442 XB en route to Port Harcourt along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on April 7. A search of the vehicle uncovered 15 kilograms of “Scottish Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in one of the compartments. Two suspects, Kingsley Nsofor and Opara Ifeanyi, were arrested.
In a separate operation in Mushin, Lagos, on April 11, NDLEA officers intercepted a truck conveying goods to Onitsha, leading to the seizure of 26,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup and the arrest of Adesunloye Dada and Chibuzor Chime.
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives raided the notorious Tora Bora drug joint in Abuja on April 11, arresting eight suspects: Abubakar Muhammad, Ali Isiaka, Obed Moses, Ibrahim Musa, Attahiru Audu, Kabiru Buhari, Oloruntoba Samuel, and Ellah Gyandi. A total of 11.516 kilograms of skunk was recovered.
In Edo State, operatives intercepted two trucks along Warrake Road, Auchi, loaded with bags of processed skunk concealed among cartons of beer. One truck contained 3,900 kilograms, while the other had 3,345 kilograms, bringing the total to 7,245 kilograms. Five suspects— Ibrahim Abu, 29; Abu Abdullazeez, 28; Jibril Jaminu, 35; Andrew Moses, 22; and Ganiyu Abu, 21—were arrested. The consignments were loaded at Sabongida-Ora in Owan West LGA and were headed for Abuja.
Meanwhile, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continued across the country, with sensitisation programmes held in schools and communities, including Child Best School, Ikorodu (Lagos); Government Science Secondary School, Ajaokuta (Kogi); Community Girls Secondary School, Danja (Katsina); Government Girls Secondary School, Dabo (Kano); Oban-Aningheje Motor Park, Calabar (Cross River); and the Anglican Youths Fellowship Diocese, Okinin (Osun).
A statement on Sunday by agency’s Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, States that the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers and men of the MAKIA, Abia, Lagos, Imo, Borno, Ogun, Niger, Edo, and FCT Commands for the arrests and seizures. He also praised personnel across the country for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
