In a disheartening discovery, NDLEA operatives—as part of ongoing efforts to rid the country of illicit drugs—have arrested 60-year-old Romanus Nwabara and two other Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) for trafficking. The trio was intercepted during interdiction operations in Anambra and Kwara states.
According to a statement released on Sunday, May 10, by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, operatives acting on credible intelligence tracked 60-year-old Romanus Nwabara to Akpaka Forest in Onitsha on Wednesday, May 6. Nwabara was caught with 250 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets. In a separate raid on Thursday, May 7, in the Ogbunike area, officers arrested another Person With Disability (PWD), 25-year-old Amos Kenneth, who was found in possession of a cocktail of illicit drugs, including Tramadol, Diazepam, Exol-5, and skunk.
During a routine patrol along the Bode Saadu axis of Kwara State on Friday, May 8, NDLEA operatives intercepted a commercial vehicle for a search. The inspection led to the arrest of a passenger, Usman Salisu, a Person With Disability (PWD), who was found with 6.3 kilograms of skunk cleverly concealed within a brown school bag.
Similarly, in a high-impact raid on Friday, May 8, a Special Operations Unit of the NDLEA uncovered a major drug ‘stash house’ in a Lekki Phase 1 mansion. Operatives seized 4,000 parcels of ‘Loud’—a potent imported cannabis strain—weighing 2,326 kilograms and valued at over N5.81 billion. Beyond the narcotics, the agency also recovered two Mercedes Benz buses and specialized designer packaging materials used for retail distribution from the property at 36 African Lane.
In Nasarawa State, 38-year-old Emmanuel Osita Okeke was apprehended on Monday, May 4, with 129kg of skunk in the Nyanya-Karu axis. This was followed by a major interception on Friday, May 8, along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, where NDLEA operatives flagged down a white J5 commuter bus. A thorough search of the Abuja-bound vehicle uncovered 76 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 766kg, leading to the arrest of three suspects: Mathew Omohove, Ebuka Desmond, and Babangida Musa.
In another Lagos breakthrough, NDLEA officers raided an illegal skuchies lab in Ijora Badia on Wednesday. Two suspects, Bose Jamiu and Gbenga Gege, were arrested while processing the illicit ‘brew.’ A total of 270 litres of skuchies and 106g of Tramadol 225mg were seized, successfully disrupting a local supply line.
Maintaining this momentum, NDLEA commands across the federation intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign over the past week. High-impact enlightenment lectures were delivered to students and staff at Ta’al Model Secondary School, Lafia; Federal College of Education, Ilawe Ekiti; and Adventist Secondary Technical College, Owerrinta. The advocacy drive also reached traditional rulers in Udi LGA, Enugu, as well as various schools and communities in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Kano, and Oyo states.
Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, commended the officers of the SOU and the Anambra, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Lagos Commands for their exceptional performance.
Marwa noted that their success in drug supply reduction, balanced with robust WADA sensitization, is vital to the national interest. The NDLEA boss further charged the operatives and their colleagues nationwide to remain relentless and maintain the current momentum in the offensive against drug cartels.
