The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has rearrested an 80-year-old ex-convict, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, for alleged involvement in illicit drug trafficking, barely three years after serving a jail term for a similar offence.
Nkanta was arrested on Saturday, January 10, 2025, at his residence in Mmanta–Abak village, Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, following actionable intelligence. A search of his home led to the recovery of 5.7 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis. The octogenarian was first arrested by the NDLEA in December 2022 and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Uyo.
In a related operation in Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 37-year-old businessman, Ani Onyebuchi Romans, along the Oron–Ibaka Road in Oron Local Government Area on Friday, January 9. Romans was travelling with two full-body mannequins which were discovered to be stuffed with 5.3 kilograms of tramadol pills. The suspect reportedly purchased the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra State, and was attempting to traffic them to Cameroon.
In Oyo State, coordinated raids across Ibadan and its environs resulted in the arrest of several suspected drug dealers and the seizure of assorted illicit substances. Among those arrested was Remi Bamidele, 45, also known as “Aluko the Mafia,” who was apprehended at Sasa, Ibadan, with 10.696 kilograms of different cannabis strains. Two vehicles and other exhibits were recovered from him. Additional arrests were made at Adegbayi and Ring Road areas of Ibadan, where drugs and over ₦1.3 million in cash were seized.
NDLEA operatives in Edo State arrested a dispatch rider, Osagbovo Edigin, alongside two other suspects in Benin City, in connection with the seizure of Canadian Loud and Colorado. Further arrests were recorded in Niger, Taraba and Adamawa States, where large quantities of tramadol capsules and skunk were recovered during separate operations.
Meanwhile, the agency said its commands across the country sustained public enlightenment activities under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, targeting schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.
Commending the officers and men involved in the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the commands for their resilience and operational successes, noting that the agency remains committed to both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts nationwide.
