By Peter Omopo
Lagos | July 20, 2025 — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 60-year-old drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, who had been on the agency’s wanted list since 2019, in a sweeping nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking and distribution.
In a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the agency disclosed that Chigozie was apprehended on July 13 at his hideout on Michael Ojo Street, Isheri, in the Ojo area of Lagos, following the interception of his drug consignment earlier that day.
The operation began when NDLEA officers stopped a white Toyota Sienna van at Ilasamaja along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway around 5:45 a.m. A search with sniffer dogs uncovered 7.6kg of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine hidden within body compartments of the vehicle. The driver, 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, was arrested on his way to Onitsha, Anambra State.
A follow-up raid on Chigozie’s residence led to the recovery of an additional 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine.
Multiple Arrests and Drug Recoveries Nationwide
In another major operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, NDLEA officers in collaboration with aviation security officials arrested a passenger, Omoregie Uyiosa, attempting to smuggle 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol to Italy via Turkish Airlines on July 16. The suspect confessed he intended to sell the drugs abroad.
On July 17, NDLEA agents at the export shed of the same airport intercepted 17 parcels of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 1.70kg. The drugs were concealed in cereal packs destined for Pakistan. The suspect, Chioba Robert Uchenna, was arrested at the point of shipment.
In another Lagos-based bust, NDLEA operatives raided Sarah Sam Hotels on Ogudu Road, Kosofe, believed to be a distribution hub for recreational drugs. The facility, operated as a family business, was raided on July 19 after surveillance linked it to a suspect, Obayemi Oyetade. Recovered from his room were 1.3kg of chocolate cannabis, 900 grams of cannabis-infused gummies, and 22.9 grams of skunk. Three vehicles were also seized.
Operations in Other States
- Kaduna: On July 19, three suspects were arrested in Narayi High Cost, Chikun LGA, with 742.866kg of skunk and Colorado (synthetic cannabis).
- Kano: On July 16, Lawan Rabiu was caught with 36,000 pills of tramadol along the Danbatta-Kazaure Road.
- Gombe: Two suspects, Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris, were arrested in Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba LGA, with 29kg of compressed skunk, while 25,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were seized from Aliyu Abubakar at Gombe roundabout on July 18.
- Borno: NDLEA intercepted 74,360 pills of opioids in Maiduguri on July 19 and arrested 44-year-old Audu Modu.
- Bayelsa: A 63-year-old grandmother, Akuna Nelson, was arrested in Yenagoa with 163 litres of a banned cocktail drink known as “skuchies.”
- Kogi: Four suspects traveling from Onitsha to Minna were arrested on July 17 along the Okene-Lokoja highway with 2kg of methamphetamine.
- Abia: On July 14, NDLEA officers raided the Aba base of a notorious dealer, Nduka Obi, seizing various quantities of tramadol, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, along with ₦736,000 in cash.
The NDLEA says these operations reflect its renewed commitment to dismantling drug networks across the country and bringing traffickers to justice.
