Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested an 83-year-old man, Pa John Ofiel, and a 78-year-old, Ogunjobi Samuel, in separate operations as part of a nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking and distribution networks.
According to the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Pa Ofiel was apprehended on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, during a raid at Samek by Powerline in Aba, Abia State, following intelligence reports linking him to drug dealing activities.
“As at the time of his arrest, 700 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets were recovered from him.
“The octogenarian claimed he was a professional shoemaker before delving into the illicit drug trade.”
In a separate operation in Ekiti State on Thursday, April 30, NDLEA operatives arrested Ogunjobi Samuel at his residence, H22 Owode Street, Ilupeju-Ekiti, for alleged drug peddling. Officers reportedly recovered 350 grams of the same substance from him.
Elsewhere in Oyo State, two women, Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31 — were taken into custody over the seizure of 1.925kg of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant. Rebecca was intercepted while transporting the consignment along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday, April 29, while Opeyemi was later arrested at Iwo Road, Ibadan, during a follow-up operation as she allegedly attempted to receive the shipment.
In another Ibadan operation, NDLEA officers arrested a suspected drug dealer, 49-year-old Taofik Adeyemi, alongside his associate, Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, at his residence in the Erunmu area on Saturday, May 2, after reportedly evading arrest for months.
Two other associates, Abiodun Abiola and Aderinde Ibrahim, had earlier been arrested on December 8, 2025, and are currently being prosecuted at the Federal High Court, Ibadan.
During the latest arrest, authorities recovered 3.085 kilograms of skunk and a Toyota Camry with registration number EPE 299 JZ.
In Osun State, a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was arrested on Thursday, April 30, at Ile-Ife toll gate along the Ibadan–Ilesha Expressway while allegedly transporting a carton containing 7kg of skunk and 15 grams of methamphetamine in a vehicle marked LES 114 AG.
A follow-up operation in Ilesha led to the arrest of the suspected owner of the consignment, Ifedayo Babalola, 40.
On Wednesday, April 29, NDLEA operatives also arrested Yahaya Shehu, 27, along the Damaturu–Maiduguri road in Borno State following intelligence reports. A search reportedly uncovered 76,440 tablets of Tramadol 225mg.
In a related development in Borno, truck driver Magaji Isa, 30, was arrested after officers intercepted 14,000 capsules of Tramadol in his vehicle. A subsequent operation in Biu led to the arrest of the alleged owner, Abdulhamid Mahmud, 28.
Meanwhile, in a separate highway operation along the Abuja–Jos–Kaduna route on Saturday, May 2, NDLEA operatives intercepted two suspects, Ojo Major Ebose, 36, and Chika Obiechefula, 32. A search of their Honda Ridgeline vehicle with plate number KSF 65 EQ led to the recovery of 393 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 290 kilograms.
In Jigawa State, NDLEA operatives also seized 49,800 capsules of Tramadol along Bauchi Road in Hadejia on Friday, May 1. Two suspects, Ahmed Garba (alias Fangale), 50, and Sale Mohammed, 41, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
