The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of a 75-year-old grandpa identified as Uchelue Ikechukwu, Eneh Makuo, Emmanuel Chiemeli, Uwakwe Matthew, Chukwujekwu Ehirim, Ifeanyichukwu Olisa, and Odoh Chukwuma with illicit substances during raids in parts of Anambra State.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest of a 30-year-old suspect, Alfa Andrew, following the destruction of 178,750 kilograms of cannabis (skunk) cultivated on his 71.5-hectare farm located in the Mayodoga forest, Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The statement added that NDLEA operatives also apprehended Uchelue at Umudioka in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State on Thursday, August 28, 2025, with 26.7kg of skunk.
Similarly, Eneh Makuo, Emmanuel Chiemeli, Uwakwe Matthew, Chukwujekwu Ehirim, Ifeanyichukwu Olisa, and Odoh Chukwuma were arrested in separate operations at Nkwelle and Amichi areas of the state with varying quantities of opioids and cannabis.
The statement said, “In his case, Andrew was arrested with a Dane gun on Tuesday 26th August when NDLEA operatives supported by personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Forest Security Service, Mambila Youth Vanguard and Vigilante, stormed his 71.5 hectares of cannabis farm located at Mayodoga forest, Mayosabere ward in Sardauna LGA, Taraba State, where they destroyed 178, 750 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.”
The consignment, suspected to be destined for insurgents in parts of Borno State, was seized, and a suspect, Hassan Buba, was immediately taken into custody.
It said, “Another suspect, Kabir Sulaiman, 45, was nabbed with 34.150kg skunk by NDLEA officers at Gwargwaje – Zaria checkpoint on Saturday, 30th August.
“Following intelligence and surveillance, NDLEA operatives in an interdiction operation on Saturday 30th August arrested a major supplier of illicit opioids in Borno state, 33-year-old Uchenna Umeh shortly after he received his supplies from Onitsha, Anambra state.
“Recovered from his apartment at Chescon, Pompomary area of Maiduguri include 30,640 pills of tramadol 225mg; 7,940 tablets of rohypnol and a cash of Seven Million Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Thousand, Two Hundred Naira (N7,999,200.00) only in N200 new notes.”
Giving a breakdown of other operations carried out across the country within the week, Babafemi stated, “In Nasarawa state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 28th August arrested a suspect Abubakar Dauda, 36, with 79,040 pills of tramadol and diazepam at Abacha park, Mararaba Karu.
“This followed the arrest of Babangida Tungura, 47, in Lafia, with 30,410 pills of tramadol and Rohypnol as well as 38 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup concealed in a deep freezer from Asaba, Delta state on Tuesday 26th August.
“A 23-year-old suspect Mohammed Ali was on Wednesday 27th August arrested in a follow up operation at Ngorore, Adamawa State following the interception of his way billed consignment of 15,000 capsules of tramadol concealed in sacks of animal feed at the Gombe mega park.
“In Kano, the duo of Ashiru Garba, 20, and Aminu Abdu, 22, were arrested on Tuesday 26th August along Kano-Hadeja road, with 1.5kg skunk and 25,000 pills of exol-5 while two other suspects: Ali Muhammad, 37, and Muhammad Maishanu, 42, were nabbed by NDLEA officers on Thursday 28th August along Zaria-Kano road, Gadan Tamburawa, with 8,080 bottles of a New Psychoactive Substance and 25.7kg skunk in their possession.”
