Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former two-term councillor in Lagos State and intercepted several illicit drug consignments in multiple states as part of intensified operations against drug trafficking across Nigeria.
The suspect, Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, 45, a former councillor at the Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Council and currently a legislative aide, was arrested at his residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, operatives acting on credible intelligence raided the residence, where 40 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were discovered in one of the rooms.
During interrogation, Olalekan reportedly admitted ownership of both the drugs and the property where they were found. He also confirmed that he had previously served two terms representing the Orimedu community in the local government council.
In a separate operation in Abuja, NDLEA officers intercepted a 32-year-old businessman, Emeka Hyginus Okwor, who was travelling in a vehicle from Obollo-Afor in Enugu State to Zuba in the Federal Capital Territory.
A search of his luggage revealed 1,000 pills of tapentadol concealed inside baby diapers. The suspect reportedly confessed that he was transporting the drugs to Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, where he operates a provision store.
Another interception occurred along the Kabba–Obajana highway in Kogi State, where NDLEA operatives on patrol seized 1.55 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, hidden inside a standing fan carton.
The drugs were traced to a 36-year-old Cameroonian national, Mey Ali Muhamat, from Maroua in Cameroon. He was travelling in a commercial bus from Lagos to Cameroon via Lokoja, Kano and Maiduguri.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives patrolling the Mokwa–Jebba road intercepted a commercial bus travelling from Ibadan in Oyo State. A search uncovered 500 pieces of improvised explosive device (IED) components concealed inside a white sack intended for delivery to a recipient in Pelegi.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, Osama Abdullahi, 21, in Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.
Meanwhile, in Yola, Adamawa State, NDLEA officers uncovered 122,000 pills of tramadol and 700 grams of methamphetamine hidden in a false compartment of a truck conveying 2,000 cartons of local drinks.
Other arrests were recorded across several states. In Kano State, a 20-year-old suspect, Muhammed Ali, was apprehended with 11,283 pills of tramadol.
In Ogun State, operatives raided the Ogere community and arrested Nazifi Mudansir and Kabiru Musa, who were found in possession of 46 kilograms of skunk.
In Delta State, two suspects — Joy Chukwuma, 25, and Eugene Felix, 22 were arrested in Ogwashi-Uku with 18.63 kilograms of skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine-based syrup, and 4,268 pills of tramadol and swinol.
Similarly, in Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested Eke London, 48, and his accomplice, Austin Isusi, 49, in Egbisi Forest in Uhumwonde Local Government Area, where 1,910.25 kilograms of skunk cultivated on two farms were destroyed.
Another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, 47, was apprehended in Ikhin town, Owan East Local Government Area, with 176.5 kilograms of skunk.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said it has continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign through educational programmes in schools, workplaces, worship centres and communities.
Recent sensitisation activities included lectures for students and staff of Government Senior College, Apata, in Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Girls Secondary School, Katcha, in Niger State; Government Girls Day Secondary School, Tsafe, in Zamfara State; and Sango Junior Secondary School, Agege, in Lagos State. Similar programmes were also conducted in schools across Sokoto, Ebonyi and Anambra states.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers and personnel of the Lagos, FCT, Kano, Niger, Kogi, Edo, Ogun, Delta and Adamawa commands for their efforts.
He urged them to remain committed to the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, which combines enforcement actions with public awareness and prevention initiatives.
