Odita Sunday 
NDLEA Arrests 83-Year-Old, 78-Year-Old In Sweeping Nationwide Drug Clampdown
By Odita Sunday
In a dramatic escalation of Nigeria’s anti-drug war, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested two elderly men aged 83 and 78 in separate operations, exposing a troubling spread of illicit drug trade across age groups and communities.
The octogenarians, Pa John Ofiel and Ogunjobi Samuel, were picked up in Abia and Ekiti states respectively, as part of a coordinated nationwide crackdown that also led to major seizures and arrests in Lagos, Oyo, Kaduna, Borno, Jigawa, Edo, and Osun states.
The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed the operations, said the arrests reflect intensified intelligence-led efforts to dismantle entrenched drug networks and disrupt supply chains across the country.
In Abia, NDLEA operatives stormed Samek area of Aba, where 83-year-old Ofiel was caught with 700 grams of skunk neatly packaged for street distribution. The suspect reportedly told investigators he was once a shoemaker before drifting into the illegal trade.
Barely two days later in Ekiti, officers raided a residence in Ilupeju-Ekiti, arresting 78-year-old Ogunjobi with 350 grams of cannabis, further highlighting the unusual demographic now linked to drug peddling.
The crackdown widened in Oyo State, where two women Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31 were arrested over 1.925 kilograms of Colorado, a highly potent synthetic cannabis. While King was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Opeyemi was nabbed in Ibadan while attempting to collect the consignment.
In another breakthrough, a wanted drug dealer, Taofik Adeyemi, 49, was finally arrested in Ibadan after months of evasion. Operatives recovered over 3 kilograms of skunk and a vehicle from him, while two of his associates are already standing trial at a Federal High Court.
Across other states, NDLEA recorded significant interceptions: a 65-year-old driver was caught in Osun transporting cannabis and methamphetamine; in Borno, operatives seized tens of thousands of tramadol pills from suspects along major routes; while in Kaduna, nearly 300 kilograms of compressed cannabis were intercepted on the Abuja-Jos highway.
Further seizures in Jigawa led to the recovery of thousands of tramadol capsules, while a major raid at Awolowo Market, Mushin, Lagos, uncovered a staggering 740 kilograms of skunk. In Edo, an intelligence-led operation resulted in the arrest of a suspect with assorted illicit drugs, including methamphetamine and Colorado.
Beyond enforcement, the agency said it has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy, taking sensitisation campaigns to schools, religious centres, and communities nationwide in a bid to reduce demand and prevent abuse.
Chairman of the agency, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across the affected states for their coordinated efforts, noting that the balance between aggressive enforcement and public education remains critical to winning the fight against drug abuse.
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