NDLEA Nabs 93-Year-Old Great Grandfather and Medical Doctor in Nationwide Drug Offensive
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on drug cartels, resulting in the arrest of a 93-year-old great grandfather and a 69-year-old medical doctor among numerous suspects. These operations, conducted across multiple states, have led to the recovery of substantial quantities of illicit drugs, including cocaine and skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
Nonagenarian and Doctor Among Key Arrests
In a significant intelligence-led operation, Pa Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, aged 93, was apprehended at his residence in Umuagbaigba, Amavo Nkwogu village, Osisioma local government area of Abia state on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. A search of his home uncovered 7.7 kilograms of skunk. Chigbu, who claimed to have worked as a truck pusher and later as a painter and tiler, admitted to entering the illicit drug business over a year ago and stated he had been smoking skunk since 1959.
In a related case, efforts to dismantle an international drug syndicate led to the arrest of Gohouri Michael, a 41-year-old Ivorian, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano. He was found with 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Milan via Addis Ababa on Monday, February 16, 2026. Michael, also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael, had arrived in Lagos from Milan on January 17, 2026, and was shuttling between Lagos and Enugu before traveling to Kano, where he ingested the cocaine in his hotel room. He was promised a payment of 5,000 Euros upon delivery in Milan.
Further investigation revealed Dr. Chudi Daniel Ofomata, a 69-year-old medical doctor, as the shadowy figure orchestrating the operation. He was tracked to his residence at Teachers’ Land estate, Magboro, Obafemi Owode LGA, Ogun state, and arrested on March 27, 2026, before being flown to Kano on April 7. At the time of his arrest, authorities recovered 63 grams of promazepam and 7 ampoules of promethazine injection from him.
Widespread Seizures and Additional Arrests
The NDLEA's operations extended across several states, resulting in multiple arrests and drug recoveries:
- In Ogun state, three suspects—Azeez Sanni, Olayinka Oke, and Adekunle Adeyemi—were arrested with 34 kilograms of skunk during a raid at Sango Under bridge, Sango Ota, on April 7. Additionally, a 26-year-old female suspect, Ayoka Akinwale, was apprehended along Onitsha-Owerri road in Imo state on April 11, with 56.2 kilograms of skunk recovered.
- In Niger state, a couple, Abdullahi Umar, 32, and his wife Adama Umar, 25, were arrested on April 9 at their home in Takuti village, Lapai LGA, where 118 kilograms of skunk were found in their kitchen.
- In Borno state, NDLEA officers intercepted a trailer loaded with vehicle spare parts from Nnewi, Anambra state, along Damaturu-Maiduguri road, seizing 42,290 tablets of Rohypnol, 82,700 milliliters of codeine syrup, and 10,000 milliliters of Pentazocine injection. The owner, Eleje Ibeabuchi, 43, was arrested in a follow-up operation.
- In Lagos, on April 7, operatives intercepted a Chisco Transport luxury bus marked AGU 442 XB along the Lagos–Ibadan expressway, recovering 15 kilograms of Scottish Loud, a strong cannabis strain, concealed in the bus. Two suspects, Kingsley Nsofor and Opara Ifeanyi, were arrested. In another operation on April 11, a truck in Mushin area was intercepted, leading to the seizure of 26,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup and the arrest of Adesunloye Dada and Chibuzor Chime.
- In Abuja, a raid at the Tora Bora drug joint on April 11 resulted in the arrest of eight suspects and the seizure of 11.516 kilograms of skunk.
- In Edo state, on April 11, two long trucks marked LUY 172 XC and LUY 281 XC were intercepted along Warrake road, Auchi, with bags of processed skunk hidden among cartons of beer. One truck contained 3,900 kilograms of skunk, and the other had 3,345 kilograms, totaling 7,245 kilograms. Five suspects were arrested in connection with this seizure.
WADA Advocacy and Commendations
Alongside these enforcement actions, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities across the country. Sensitization lectures were conducted for students and staff at various institutions, including Child Best School in Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Science Secondary School in Ajaokuta, Kogi; and Community Girls Secondary School in Danja, Katsina, among others. These efforts aim to balance drug supply reduction with demand reduction initiatives.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the officers and men of the MAKIA, Abia, Lagos, Imo, Borno, Ogun, Niger, Edo, and FCT Commands for their diligent work in the past week's operations. He praised their efforts in maintaining a fair balance between curbing drug supply and reducing demand through educational programs.
