The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during the previous week, intensified its crackdown on drug traffickers by raiding a Lagos hotel, intercepting international consignments concealed in food items, and apprehending a long-wanted drug kingpin.
During one of the operations, Okpara Chigozie, a key drug cartel boss who had been evading arrest since 2019, was apprehended.
According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, operatives apprehended him at his hideout on Michael Ojo Street, Isheri, Ojo, Lagos, after intercepting a white Toyota Sienna van carrying his unlawful goods.
Babafemi stated that the vehicle, which was on its way to Onitsha, Anambra State, was stopped at Ilasamaja on the Apapa-Oshodi Motorway at 5:45 a.m. on Sunday, July 13.
“Operatives of a special operations unit of the NDLEA have arrested a wanted 60-year-old drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, ending seven years of evading the long arm of the law, even as he was caught attempting to ship large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country.
“Okpara,, who has been on the wanted list of NDLEA since 2019,, was eventually nabbed at his hideout at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri,, in the Ojo Ojo area of Lagos State on Sunday,, 13th July 2025,, following the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45 am the same day at Ilasamaja along Apapa-Oshodi Motorway,”e statement partly read.
Babafemi claimed a sniffer dog search revealed 7.6 kg of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine hidden in body compartment and that the driver, Achebe Nnamdi, 51, had been arrested.
He said, “In the early morning operation, a team of NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence arrested one of Okpara’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, while heading to Onitsha, Anambra State, in a white Toyota Sienna vehicle.
“The agency’s sniffer dogs were subsequently brought in to search the vehicle, after which 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine were found hidden in body compartments of the space bus.
“A follow-up operation was promptly carried out at Okpara’ss hideout in Isheri,, where an additional 1.8 kg of cocaine and 1.3 kg of methamphetamine were recovered from his residence.”
In another raid, he stated that NDLEA officers at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport, collaborating with aviation security personnel, seized 7,790 tramadol and rohypnol pills from a passenger named Omoregie Uyiosa.
He added that the suspect, who was on his way to Italy via Turkish Airlines on Wednesday, July 16, claimed he planned to sell the drugs abroad.
“In another arrest at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives at the export shed on Thursday, 17th July, intercepted 17 parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 1.70 kg concealed in packs of popular cereal, Golden Morn, going to Pakistan as part of a consolidated cargo.
“A suspect, Chioba Robert Uchenna, who presented the consignment for shipment, was arrested,” the statement added.
Also in Lagos, Babafemi stated that NDLEA agents stormed the Sarah Sam Hotels on Ogudu Road in Kosofe, where “party drugs” were allegedly distributed.
He stated that the facility, which operated as a family business, was raided on Saturday, July 19, after surveillance linked it to suspect Obayemi Oyetade.
He said that officers discovered 1.3 kg of chocolate cannabis, 900 grams of cannabis-infused sweets, and 22.9 grams of skunk in his chamber. Three automobiles were also seized.
“Three suspects: Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi and Emmanuel Madu were on Saturday 19th July, arrested during an intelligence-led raid at Narayi High Cost area of Chikun LGA, Kaduna State, where 742.866 kilograms of skunk and Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, were seized from them. In Kano, Lawan Rabiu was nabbed with 36,000 pills of tramadol along the Danbatta-Kazaureaure road on Wednesday, 16th July.
“While a total of 25,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect, Aliyu Abubakar, at Gombe roundabout on Friday 18th July, the duo of Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris were arrested the same day with 49 blocks of compressed skunk that weighed 29 kgg at Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba LGA, Gombe State,” the statement added.
In Borno, Babafemi stated that on Saturday, July 19, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Baga Road in Maiduguri intercepted 74,360 opioid pills in a Mercedes Benz C180 automobile marked GUB 409 AA and detained Audu Modu, 44, in connection with the seizure.
“In Bayelsa State, a 63-year-old grandma, Akuna Nelson, was on Thursday, 17th July, arrested in the the Osiri area of Yenagoa in connection with the seizure of 163 litres of skuchies.
“Four suspects: Ikechukwuu Abugu, 42; Sunday Ani, 18; Chukwu Christian, 46; and Emmanuel Olisakwe, 55, were on Thursday, 17th July, arrested by NDLEA operatives along the Okene-Lokojakoja highway in Kogi State in connection with the seizure of 2 kg of methamphetamine recovered during a search of their vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Minna, Niger State.
“In Abia state, NDLEA officers on Monday 14th July raided the base of a notorious drug dealer, Nduka Obi, 39, at 4 Niger Street, Ugwa Road, Aba, where various quantities of tramadol, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine and a total of N736,000 in monetary exhibits were recovered from him,” he added.
