The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a 60-year-old wanted drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, who had been evading arrest for over seven years.
According to a statement by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Chigozie was arrested on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at his hideout located at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri, in the Ojo area of Lagos State. His arrest followed the earlier interception of a large consignment of cocaine and methamphetamine along the Apapa-Oshodi expressway in Ilasamaja around 5:45 a.m.
Chigozie, who has been on NDLEA’s wanted list since 2019, was allegedly trying to distribute the illegal drugs to the Southeast and other parts of Nigeria.
During the same early morning operation, NDLEA operatives, acting on credible intelligence, also arrested one of Chigozie’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, who was en route to Onitsha, Anambra State, in a white Toyota Sienna.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi revealed that the agency’s sniffer dogs were deployed to inspect a vehicle, leading to the discovery of 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine concealed in body compartments of the space bus.
A swift follow-up operation at Okpara Paul Chigozie’s hideout in Isheri led to the recovery of an additional 1.8 kilograms of cocaine and 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine from his residence.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA officers, working alongside Aviation Security personnel from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), intercepted 7,790 pills of Tramadol and Rohypnol from the luggage of an Italy-bound passenger, Omoregie Nice Uyiosa, on Wednesday, July 16. The suspect, who was travelling via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight, admitted to purchasing the drugs with the intention of reselling them at a higher price in Italy.
In another operation at the airport’s export shed on Thursday, July 17, NDLEA operatives intercepted 17 parcels of skunk — a potent strain of cannabis — weighing 1.70 kilograms. The drugs were hidden in packs of Golden Morn cereal and were destined for Pakistan as part of a consolidated cargo.
He said a suspect, Chioba Robert Uchenna, who presented the consignment for shipment, was arrested.
The statement reads, “In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, 19th July raided Sarah Sam Hotels located at 115 Ogudu road in Kosofe, where different party drugs are being distributed and sold. The raid followed credible intelligence and surveillance, which confirmed a suspect, Obayemi Oyetade, as the arrowhead of the drug network. At the time of the operation, 1.30kg of Chocolate Cannabis, 900grams of gummies and 22.9grams of skunk were recovered from Obayemi’s room in the hotel, which is a 20-room facility run as a family business, housing his mother and siblings. Other items recovered from the hotel include three vehicles.
“Three suspects: Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi and Emmanuel Madu were arrested 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-Kazaure 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 same day with 49 blocks of compressed skunk that weighed 29kg at Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba LGA, Gombe state.
“In Borno, NDLEA officers on patrol along Baga road, Maiduguri, on Saturday 19th July intercepted 74,360 pills of opioids in a Mercedes Benz C180 car marked GUB 409 AA and arrested Audu Modu, 44, in connection with the seizure, while in Bayelsa state, a 63-year-old grandma Akuna Nelson was on Thursday 17th July arrested at Osiri area of Yenagoa in connection with the seizure of 163 litres of skuchies.
“Four suspects: Ikechukw Abugu, 42; Sunday Ani, 18; Chukwu Christian, 46; and Emmanuel Olisakwe, 55, were on Thursday, 17th July, arrested by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja highway, Kogi state in connection with the seizure of 2kg 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, methamphetamine and a total of N736,000 monetary exhibit were recovered from him.
“While a total of 45,000 pills of tramadol were seized from a suspect, Chisom Okpalaeke, 30, by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Onitsha – Enugu expressway, Enugu state on Wednesday 16th July, officers of the Taraba state command of the agency same day, apprehended the duo of Ngwokwoka Thomas, 44, and Mohammed Audu, 44, with 10,000 caps of tramadol and a gram of cannabis at Dan Anacha, Gassol LGA.
“The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Government Day Secondary School, Badeggi, Niger; Dah Model Academy, Ngurore, Adamawa; Icon Academy, Nsukka, Enugu; Government Technical College, Nkpor, Anambra and Madrisatul Tahfizul Qur’an Wa Ulumud Deen, Jaba Fagge, Kano state; among others.
“While commending the officers and men of MMIA, SOU, Lagos, Kaduna, Osun, Bayelsa, Gombe, Borno, Abia, Kogi, Enugu, and Taraba Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”
