The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of opioids and other illicit substances concealed in building materials as part of an ongoing nationwide offensive against drug cartels. The operations led to the arrest of a 75-year-old grandfather in Ebonyi State and several suspected drug traffickers, including female dealers in Edo, Imo, Kano and Gombe states.
Major Interception in Taraba
A major blow was dealt to opioid trafficking networks in Taraba State on Saturday, June 6, 2026, following credible intelligence that led to the interception of a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Jalingo. A thorough search of the vehicle by NDLEA operatives at the Nukkai Timber Shade, Jalingo, uncovered a large cache of drugs concealed beneath the cargo. A 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was arrested. Items recovered from the truck included 320,840 capsules of tramadol, 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 4,500 rohypnol tablets and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
Arrests in Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano and Gombe
In Ebonyi State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 75-year-old grandfather, Okebe Samuel, at Okposi. The suspect was found in possession of 300 grammes of skunk, which he allegedly sold in retail sachets to youths in the community. In Imo State, officers raided a known drug enclave at Umulolo, Orlu, leading to the arrest of a suspected female drug dealer, 32-year-old Chioma Okeke, and the recovery of eight kilogrammes of skunk.
In Edo State, a crackdown on notorious drug hotspots across Benin City on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, resulted in the arrest of four suspected traffickers, including three women. At Uyosa, Benin City, two female suspects, Chioma Igba, 24, and Precious Ozomah, 22, were arrested with 176 grammes of skunk, 65 grammes of Loud and five grammes of methamphetamine. Along Agbor Road, Benin City, another female suspect, Anita Abraham, 21, was apprehended with 95 grammes of Scottish Loud and 329 grammes of Loud. At Upper Mission, Benin City, a 43-year-old suspect, Henry Okey, was arrested with various psychotropic substances, including Loud, Colorado, Swinol and methamphetamine.
In Kano State, a swift operation on Thursday, June 4, 2026, led to the arrest of 19-year-old Saifullahi Lawan in the Kafi area of Madobi. He was found with 40 blocks of skunk weighing 38 kilogrammes. Similarly, operatives in Gombe State on Monday, June 1, 2026, intercepted 28-year-old Ugwu Sabastine Ifebuchi near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area of Gombe. The suspect was found in possession of 15,000 capsules of tramadol.
