Abuja, June 7, 2026 – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted large consignments of opioids and other illicit substances concealed in building materials in Taraba State, while also arresting a 75-year-old suspect in Ebonyi State as part of its ongoing nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said the major seizure was made on Saturday in Taraba following intelligence that led operatives to a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha to Jalingo.
He said a search of the vehicle at Nukkai Timber Shade in Jalingo uncovered 320,840 capsules of tramadol, 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 4,500 tablets of rohypnol and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup concealed beneath the cargo.
According to him, a 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Ebonyi State, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives arrested a 75-year-old suspect, Okebe Samuel, at Okposi.
He said the suspect was found in possession of 300 grammes of skunk, allegedly packaged in retail sachets for sale to youths in the community.
The NDLEA spokesman also disclosed that operatives raided a drug enclave at Umulolo in Orlu, Imo State, leading to the arrest of a suspected female drug dealer, Chioma Okeke.
He said 8 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered during the operation.
Babafemi further said that a sweep of identified drug hotspots in Benin City on June 2 resulted in the arrest of four suspects, including three women.
He identified them as Chioma Igba, 24; Precious Ozomah, 22; Anita Abraham, 21; and Henry Okey, 43.
According to him, various quantities of skunk, Loud, Colorado, methamphetamine and other psychotropic substances were recovered from the suspects.
In another operation in Kano State, Babafemi said operatives arrested a 19-year-old suspect, Saifullahi Lawan, at Kafi area of Madobi on June 4 with 40 blocks of skunk weighing 38 kilogrammes.
He added that in Gombe State, operatives intercepted Ugwu Sabastine Ifebuchi, 28, near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area on June 1.
The spokesman said the suspect was found with 15,000 capsules of tramadol.
Babafemi also said the agency sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across the country, with awareness programmes conducted in schools in Oyo, Lagos, Anambra and Kano states, among others.
Reacting to the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers and men of the Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano and Gombe commands for their vigilance and commitment.
Marwa reiterated the agency’s resolve to dismantle drug trafficking networks and sustain efforts aimed at reducing both the supply and demand of illicit drugs across the country.
