By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested several suspects and seized large consignments of illicit drugs concealed in petrol tankers, food sacks, refrigerators, and other items during nationwide operations.
Among those arrested was 75-year-old Uchelue Ikechukwu, caught with 26.7kg of cannabis in Anambra.
In Kaduna, operatives intercepted 104,900 tramadol capsules hidden in a petrol tanker and arrested the driver, Hassan Buba.
Another suspect, Uchenna Umeh, identified as a major opioid supplier in Borno, was found with 38,000 pills and ₦7.9 million in cash.
In separate operations, NDLEA intercepted 109,450 opioid pills in Nasarawa, 15,000 tramadol capsules in Adamawa, destroyed a 71.5-hectare cannabis farm in Taraba, and seized 5.3kg of Loud, Colorado, and methamphetamine from a suspected kingpin in Ekiti.
Other raids led to the recovery of 250,000 Exol-5 tablets in Kano, 64,250 opioid pills in Edo, and 117.5kg of processed cannabis in Ondo.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the arrests and seizures reflect the agency’s intensified crackdown on drug trafficking across the country.
