The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two elderly men, aged 84 and 75, over allegations of supplying and selling illicit drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia State, in what the agency described as another major breakthrough in its nationwide campaign against drug trafficking and abuse.
The suspects, identified as 84-year-old Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora, were apprehended in separate intelligence-led operations carried out by NDLEA operatives. The arrests have heightened concerns about the growing availability of dangerous narcotics to school-age children and the involvement of elderly individuals in the illicit drug trade.
The agency disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who explained that both suspects had allegedly been engaged in supplying controlled substances to teenagers and other drug users in the state.
According to the statement, Obiora, who operates a patent medicine store at No. 4 Club Road in Umuahia, was arrested on Friday, June 19, following credible intelligence linking him to the illegal sale of opioids and other controlled substances.
Babafemi said NDLEA operatives conducted a search of the premises after receiving intelligence reports that the elderly suspect had turned his medicine store into a distribution point for illicit drugs, particularly targeting students and young people.
“Pa Obiora was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday, June 19, following credible intelligence that he was selling illicit substances to young students and others in his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road, Umuahia,” the statement read.
During the search, officers reportedly recovered 4.64 kilograms of controlled opioids, including tramadol and diazepam, both of which are frequently abused despite being prescription medications.
The NDLEA described the recovery as another indication of how illicit drug dealers continue to exploit legitimate businesses to distribute prohibited substances.
The agency also revealed details surrounding the arrest of the second suspect, 84-year-old Godfrey Orji, a pensioner who allegedly supplied illicit drugs to students of Saint Silas Secondary School in Old Umuahia.
According to Babafemi, Orji was apprehended after vigilant security personnel at the school caught him allegedly supplying narcotics to two teenage students within the school premises.
The school authorities immediately alerted the police, who subsequently transferred both the suspect and the students to the NDLEA for further investigation.
“In his case, Pa Orji, who is a pensioner and also into the illicit drug trade, was nabbed by security guards at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, for supplying illicit drugs to two teenage students in the school. The guards thereafter handed them over to the police, who in turn transferred them to NDLEA on Thursday, June 18,” Babafemi stated.
During interrogation, one of the students—a 15-year-old Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) student—allegedly admitted that Orji had been supplying him with illicit substances over a period of time.
The teenager further claimed that he not only consumed the drugs but also sold them to fellow students within the school community.
“In his statement, one of the two teenagers, a 15-year-old SS2 student, claimed the 84-year-old grandpa supplies him the drugs, which he takes and also sells to fellow students,” the NDLEA spokesman disclosed.
The agency said the revelation underscores the growing challenge of drug abuse among young people and the need for stronger preventive measures within schools and communities.
While confirming that both elderly suspects would face prosecution under relevant drug laws, the NDLEA emphasized that the two teenagers involved would receive counselling and rehabilitation rather than criminal prosecution.
According to the agency, the decision aligns with its strategy of combining law enforcement with rehabilitation and public health interventions aimed at helping young victims of substance abuse recover and reintegrate into society.
Beyond the arrests in Abia State, the NDLEA also announced several significant seizures and operations conducted across different parts of the country during the week.
In Lagos State, operatives intercepted a shipment containing 9.5 kilograms of ADB-Chminaca, a highly potent synthetic cannabinoid classified as a dangerous new psychoactive substance.
The illicit consignment, which originated from China, was concealed inside a carton at a courier company before being intercepted by NDLEA officers.
Babafemi noted that the seizure reflects the agency’s intensified surveillance of international courier services frequently exploited by drug trafficking syndicates.
In another operation carried out on June 16, NDLEA officers recovered 300 grams of “Loud,” a highly potent strain of cannabis, concealed inside ladies’ handbags at a logistics company in Lagos.
The agency also intensified its crackdown on suspected drug dealers operating within the state.
On Friday, June 19, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of a wanted suspect, Lukman Badmus, popularly known as “Lukman Ogombo,” in the Ogombo area of Ajah.
Although the suspect was not immediately apprehended, officers recovered nine bottles of codeine syrup and 30 grams of skunk from his residence.
Babafemi disclosed that investigators subsequently carried out a follow-up operation at a shop belonging to the suspect’s wife, Aisha Saraki, located in the Patey area of Lagos Island.
During the raid, officers recovered two additional bottles of codeine syrup alongside various drug paraphernalia used in the distribution of illicit substances.
The agency also discovered a mini-bus parked in front of the shop containing 42 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 22.5 kilograms.
According to the NDLEA, attempts by the suspect’s wife to destroy some of the evidence by flushing the drugs down a toilet were unsuccessful after officers intervened promptly.
In Kogi State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 33-year-old suspect identified as Tochukwu Onah along the Okene-Lokoja Highway while travelling from Lagos to Abuja.
Officers discovered 1.030 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside containers labelled as custard during a routine search.
The agency also confirmed the arrest of two suspects, James Tony Chukwudi, aged 48, and James Kehinde, aged 35, who had previously been declared wanted in connection with the seizure of 117 kilograms of skunk in Ekiti State earlier this year.
In Oyo State, NDLEA officers arrested three suspects during a raid on a residence in the Dangote area of Elekara, Oyo Town.
Those arrested included 75-year-old Tudun Olubiyi, Nasiru Buhari, 22, and Buba Musa, 47.
The operation led to the recovery of 118 jumbo bags containing approximately 1,416 kilograms of skunk concealed beneath heaps of sawdust in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, operatives raided cannabis plantations located within Khagba Forest in Ikao, Owan East Local Government Area.
During the operation, officers destroyed approximately 1,744.075 kilograms of cannabis growing on the farms while recovering an additional 169 kilograms of processed cannabis ready for distribution.
A separate operation at Ebora Camp in Ilushi, Esan South-East Local Government Area, resulted in the destruction of another 2,424.945 kilograms of cannabis cultivated on illegal plantations.
The operation also led to the arrest of 45-year-old Augustine Anyamone, who was allegedly found in possession of 395 kilograms of processed skunk.
Commending officers involved in the nationwide operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised commands in Abia, Lagos, Edo, Kogi, Oyo and Ekiti states for their professionalism and commitment.
Marwa noted that while the agency continues to intensify efforts to reduce the supply of illicit drugs across Nigeria, equal emphasis is being placed on preventive education through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
He urged officers nationwide not to relent in the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse, stressing that sustained enforcement, public awareness and rehabilitation remain essential to protecting Nigerian communities, particularly young people, from the devastating consequences of illicit drug use.
