Korede Abdullah in Lagos
Two elderly suspects, 80-year-old Ayuba Ashiru and 82-year-old Uloma Uchechi Sunday, along with Uloma’s daughter Chisom Uchechi, 32, were among the top arrests made by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during recent nationwide raids.
According a statement signed by Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, Ayuba, who had served a 10-year prison sentence for drug offenses, was caught again with 2.3 kilograms of skunk cannabis in Kaduna State.
Uloma and her daughter were arrested in Abia State with methamphetamine, tramadol, and skunk; Uloma confessed, “she and her daughter took over the drug trade after her son, who started the business, died two years ago.”
In addition to these arrests, NDLEA intercepted opioids worth over N3.2 billion at Apapa seaport in Lagos and Port Harcourt port in Rivers State. At Port Harcourt, 3 million pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol valued at N2.1 billion were seized from a container under joint examination by NDLEA and Customs.
Similarly, at Apapa seaport, 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1 billion were discovered concealed in a shipment declared as new car parts.
These seizures were part of a broader enforcement effort that included arrests and confiscations of various drugs such as tramadol, cannabis, and cocaine across multiple Nigerian states.
NDLEA’s Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers involved, stating, “I praise their counterparts in all commands for pursuing a fair balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”
Alongside enforcement actions, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy programs nationwide, delivering sensitization lectures to schools and communities to curb drug abuse and raise awareness.
