The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two elderly men, aged 84 and 75, for allegedly supplying and selling illicit drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia State.

The suspects, identified as 84-year-old Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora, were arrested in separate operations by operatives of the agency.

According to a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Obiora was arrested on June 19 following intelligence reports that he was selling illicit substances to students and other users from his patent medicine store.

Babafemi said, “Pa Obiora was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday, 19th June 2026, following credible intelligence that he was selling illicit substances to young students and others in his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road, Umuahia, where 4.64 kilograms of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam, were recovered from him during a search of his premises.”

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The agency said Orji, a pensioner, was arrested after he was caught supplying illicit drugs to students of Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia.

“In his case, Pa Orji, who is a pensioner and also into the illicit drug trade, was nabbed by security guards at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, for supplying illicit drugs to two teenage students in the school. The guards thereafter handed them over to the police, who in turn transferred them to NDLEA on Thursday, 18th June,” Babafemi stated.

He disclosed that one of the teenagers, a 15-year-old Senior Secondary School Two student, admitted during interrogation that the suspect regularly supplied him with drugs.

“In his statement, one of the two teenagers, a 15-year-old SS2 student, claimed the 84-year-old grandpa supplies him the drugs, which he takes and also sells to fellow students,” the statement added.

The NDLEA said while the two elderly suspects would be prosecuted, the students had been placed on counselling and rehabilitation programmes.

Meanwhile, the agency also announced a series of drug seizures and arrests across the country.

In Lagos, operatives intercepted a consignment of ADB-Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a dangerous new psychoactive substance, at a courier company. The 9.5kg shipment, which originated from China, was concealed in a carton.

Babafemi said another operation on June 16 led to the seizure of 300 grams of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden inside ladies’ handbags at a logistics company in Lagos.

The agency also raided the residence of a wanted drug dealer, Lukman Badmus, popularly known as Lukman Ogombo, in the Ogombo area of Ajah, Lagos.

“In another interdiction operation in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Friday, 19th June, raided the home of a wanted drug dealer, Lukman Badmus (a.k.a. Lukman Ogombo), in Ogombo area of Ajah, where nine bottles of codeine syrup and 30 grams of skunk were recovered,” Babafemi said.

He added that a follow-up operation at the suspect’s wife’s shop on Lagos Island led to additional recoveries.

“A swift follow-up operation at Lukman’s wife’s shop in Patey area of Lagos Island led to the recovery of additional two bottles of codeine and drug paraphernalia, while 42 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 22.5kg were also recovered from a mini-bus parked in front of her shop. Attempt by the wife, Aisha Saraki, to flush some of the drug exhibits in the toilet during the raid was thwarted by operatives,” he said.

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a 33-year-old suspect, Tochukwu Onah, along the Okene–Lokoja Highway with 1.030kg of methamphetamine concealed in custard containers while travelling from Lagos to Abuja.

The agency also confirmed the arrest of two suspects, James Tony Chukwudi, 48, and James Kehinde, 35, who had been wanted in connection with the seizure of 117kg of skunk in Ekiti State in March.

In Oyo State, a 75-year-old suspect, Tudun Olubiyi, alongside Nasiru Buhari, 22, and Buba Musa, 47, was arrested during a raid on a residence in the Dangote area of Elekara, Oyo Town.

Babafemi said operatives recovered “118 jumbo bags containing 1,416kg of skunk covered with sawdust” during the operation.

Similarly, in Edo State, NDLEA officers raided cannabis farms in Khagba Forest, Ikao, Owan East Local Government Area, where 1,744.075kg of skunk was destroyed and 169kg of processed cannabis recovered.

The agency said another operation at Ebora Camp, Ilushi, in Esan South Local Government Area, resulted in the destruction of 2,424.945kg of cannabis, while a suspect, Augustine Anyamone, 45, was arrested with 395kg of skunk.

Commending officers involved in the operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised commands in Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Kogi and Edo States for the arrests and seizures.

Marwa noted that their efforts in reducing drug supply were being effectively balanced with the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign.

He charged officers across the country “not to rest on their laurels” in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse. (Sunday PUNCH)

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