Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an 80-year-old former convict, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, for alleged involvement in illicit drug trafficking in Akwa Ibom State.
Nkanta was apprehended in Mmanta-Abak, Abak Local Government Area, after NDLEA operatives recovered 5.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from his residence. The arrest followed actionable intelligence received by the agency.
NDLEA disclosed that Nkanta is a repeat offender who was previously arrested in December 2022, prosecuted, and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for drug trafficking by a Federal High Court in Uyo. He reportedly returned to the illegal drug trade shortly after completing his jail term.
In a separate operation within the state, NDLEA officers intercepted a 37-year-old businessman, Ani Onyebuchi Romans, along the Oron–Ibaka Road in Oron Local Government Area. Romans was travelling with full-body mannequins allegedly intended for delivery to Cameroon.
A search of the mannequins revealed that they had been stuffed with tramadol tablets weighing a total of 5.3 kilograms. Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect purchased the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra State, and attempted to smuggle them across the border for resale.
Romans reportedly resides in Cameroon and was returning after the Christmas and New Year holidays when he was arrested.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operations in Oyo State led to the arrest of several suspected drug dealers and the seizure of assorted illicit substances. Among those arrested was 45-year-old Remi Bamidele, also known as “Aluko the Mafia,” who was apprehended at Sasa, Ibadan.
A total of 10.696 kilograms of cannabis variants, including Colorado, Scottish Loud, Ghana Loud, Canadian Loud, and skunk, were recovered from him. Two vehicles—a Toyota Venza and a Toyota Yaris—were also seized during the operation.
At the Adegbayi area of Ibadan, NDLEA officers arrested a 27-year-old suspect, Adeola Toheeb, with quantities of Colorado, Ghana Loud, and skunk. Another suspect, Habeeb Ali, 29, was arrested at Ring Road, Ibadan, with 1.264 kilograms of similar substances. A cash sum of ₦1,307,100 was recovered from him at the time of arrest.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested a dispatch rider, Osagbovo Edigin, alongside two other suspects, Ebimi Labo and Akhimie Success, along Ihama/Airport Road, Government Reservation Area, Benin City. The arrests were linked to the seizure of 118 grams of Canadian Loud and a wrap of Colorado.
The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to sustained operations aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks across the country.
