Wanted ‘Drug Kingpin’ Among 20 Arrested In NDLEA Raids
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has announced the arrest of at least 20 suspects during coordinated operations across 13 states.
The raid across Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe, Kano, Borno, Bayelsa, Kogi, Enugu, Taraba, Abia, Niger, Adamawa, and Anambra States occurred between July 13 and 19, 2025.
The agency confiscated a total of over 875 kilograms of drugs and more than 243,000 pills, and recovered N736,000 in cash during the clampdown.
The intercepted drugs included cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis variants, tramadol, rohypnol, exol-5, and skunk.
The NDLEA disclosed the development in a report signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, and released on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
Investigations show the alleged drug cartels employed interstate trafficking, vehicular concealment, and commercial flight luggage smuggling, as well as cargo masking techniques, including stuffing drugs inside cereal packs and hotel networks.
On Sunday, July 13, NDLEA operatives arrested a long-wanted alleged drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, 60, at his hideout in Isheri, Ojo, Lagos, after earlier intercepting 7.6kg of cocaine and 900g of methamphetamine from his courier, Achebe Nnamdi.
Nnamdi was caught in a white Toyota Sienna along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway while heading to Onitsha, Anambra.
A further 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine were recovered at Okpara’s residence.
Babafemi said, “Ending seven years of evading the long arm of the law. Okpara who has been on the wanted list of NDLEA since 2019 was eventually nabbed at his hideout at 72 Micheal Ojo Street, Isheri in Ojo area of Lagos state on Sunday 13th July 2025 following the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45am same day at Ilasamaja along Apapa-Oshodi expressway.
“He was caught attempting to ship large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country”.
On Monday, July 14, NDLEA officers in Aba, Abia State, raided Nduka Obi, 39, at 4 Niger Street, Ugwa Road, recovering various drugs including tramadol, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, along with N736,000 in cash.
On Wednesday, July 16, operatives in collaboration with FAAN Aviation Security recovered 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol from Omoregie Uyiosa, who was headed to Italy via Turkish Airlines.
Babafemi said Uyiosa admitted to “purchasing the drugs for resale abroad”.
On the same date, officers in Kano nabbed Lawan Rabiu with 36,000 tramadol pills along the Danbatta-Kazaure road.
In Enugu, Chisom Okpalaeke, 30, was caught along the Onitsha–Enugu expressway with 45,000 tramadol pills.
While in Taraba, NDLEA arrested Ngwokwoka Thomas and Mohammed Audu, both 44, at Dan Anacha, Gassol LGA, with 10,000 tramadol caps and a gram of cannabis.
On Thursday, July 17, NDLEA intercepted 17 parcels of skunk (1.7kg) disguised as Golden Morn cereal destined for Pakistan.
Babafemi said, “Chioba Uchenna, who presented the cargo at the Lagos airport export shed, was arrested”.
On the same day in Bayelsa, NDLEA arrested 63-year-old Akuna Nelson in Osiri, Yenagoa, seizing 163 litres of skuchies.
Also on Thursday, July 17, four suspects—Ikechukw Abugu, Sunday Ani, Chukwu Christian, and Emmanuel Olisakwe—were intercepted along the Okene-Lokoja highway, Kogi, with 2kg of methamphetamine, en route to Minna from Onitsha.
The operation on Friday, July 18, in Gombe, led to the arrest of Aliyu Abubakar while in possession of
25,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 at Gombe roundabout.
During the Gombe raid, Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris were arrested in Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba LGA with 49 blocks of skunk (29kg).
Operatives noted that Sarah Sam Hotels in Kosofe, Lagos, was raided uncovering a party drug syndicate led by Obayemi Oyetade on Saturday, July 19.
“Seizures included 1.3kg of chocolate cannabis, 900g of gummies, and 22.9g of skunk from his hotel room. Three vehicles were also recovered”.
The same day in the Narayi High Cost area, Chikun LGA, Kaduna State, 742.866kg of skunk and synthetic cannabis (Colorado) were seized and three suspects—Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi, and Emmanuel Madu—were arrested.
Along Baga Road, Maiduguri, Borno, operatives intercepted 74,360 opioid pills hidden in a Mercedes-Benz C180, arresting Audu Modu, 44.
Marwa commended officers in the various operations for their diligence, noting a strategic balance in the agency’s supply and demand reduction campaigns.
Wanted ‘Drug Kingpin’ Among 20 Arrested In NDLEA Raids is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
