After seven years on the run, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has finally arrested 60-year-old Okpara Paul Chigozie, a long-wanted drug kingpin. Chigozie was apprehended in his hideout in Isheri, Lagos, following the interception of his courier, Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, who was caught transporting drugs along the Apapa-Oshodi expressway. NDLEA officers uncovered 7.6kg of cocaine and 900g of methamphetamine hidden in a white Toyota Sienna, with additional quantities found in Chigozie’s residence, totaling 11.6kg of illegal drugs.
The agency also reported successful operations at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), where operatives recovered thousands of pills of tramadol and rohypnol from Italy-bound passenger Omoregie Nice Uyiosa. In a separate incident at the airport, 1.7kg of cannabis hidden in cereal packs meant for Pakistan was intercepted, leading to the arrest of Chioba Robert Uchenna. The week also saw a raid on a hotel in Lagos, Sarah Sam Hotels, where party drugs like Chocolate Cannabis and gummies were seized from suspect Obayemi Oyetade.
Nationwide, NDLEA intensified its crackdown with major seizures in Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Borno, and Bayelsa states. In Kaduna, nearly 743kg of skunk and synthetic cannabis were recovered, while in Gombe, officers arrested suspects with 29kg of compressed skunk. In Maiduguri, 74,360 pills of opioids were intercepted, and in Bayelsa, a 63-year-old grandmother was arrested with 163 litres of illicit substances. Abia, Enugu, Kogi, and Taraba also recorded significant arrests and seizures involving various narcotics and suspects in possession of large quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin.
In tandem with its enforcement activities, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign across Nigerian schools. Lectures and advocacy sessions were held in states including Niger, Adamawa, Enugu, Anambra, and Kano, reinforcing awareness and prevention among young Nigerians. Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the agency’s officers nationwide for balancing efforts to reduce both drug supply and demand, highlighting the agency’s strengthened resolve in tackling the drug crisis head-on.
