By Adesakin Adefemi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two septuagenarian men and an octogenarian in separate drug trafficking operations in Abia and Ekiti states, as part of a sweeping nationwide crackdown that netted suspects and large drug consignments across eight states.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrests on Sunday. He said the operations underscore the agency’s resolve to dismantle drug networks regardless of the age or profile of those involved.
In Abia State, officers arrested 83-year-old Pa John Ofiel on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, during a raid at Samek by Powerline in Aba. The operation followed credible intelligence that he was dealing in illicit substances. Officers recovered 700 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets.
Ofiel reportedly told investigators he was formerly a professional shoemaker before venturing into the illicit drug trade. He is currently in custody as investigations continue.
In a separate operation in Ekiti State, 78-year-old Ogunjobi Samuel was arrested on Thursday, April 30, at his residence on H22 Owode Street, Ilupeju-Ekiti. NDLEA said 350 grams of skunk were seized from him at the time of arrest.
The agency also recorded significant interceptions elsewhere. In Oyo State, two women Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31 were arrested over 1.925kg of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis. Rebecca was caught conveying the drug along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on April 29, while Opeyemi was picked up in Ibadan during a follow-up operation.
In Ibadan, 49-year-old suspected dealer Taofik Adeyemi and his salesman, Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, were arrested on May 2 at Adeyemi’s Erunmu residence.
Items recovered included 3.085kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry. Two of Adeyemi’s associates had been arrested in December 2025 and are being prosecuted.
Other seizures included 76,440 tablets of Tramadol 225mg from Yahaya Shehu, 27, in Borno; 290kg of compressed skunk from two suspects in Kaduna; and 740kg of skunk recovered during a raid on Awolowo Market in Mushin, Lagos, on May 2. Arrests were also made in Osun, Jigawa, and Edo states.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), commended officers in the affected state commands for their vigilance and urged them to sustain the offensive against drug cartels.
He noted that the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns also continued nationwide in schools, markets, and transport hubs.
The agency said all suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations, in line with provisions of the NDLEA Act.
Babafemi stressed that the prosecutions will send a strong deterrent message that no one is above the law, regardless of age or status.
He added that the agency remains committed to disrupting supply chains, protecting communities, and ensuring that offenders face the full weight of justice while recovered exhibits are processed for forfeiture.
