After evading arrest for over seven years, a notorious drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, aged 60, has finally been apprehended by a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The arrest was made on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at his hideout in Isheri, Ojo area of Lagos State, following the interception of one of his couriers along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway earlier that day.
According to Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja Femi Babafemi acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives arrested 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, who was transporting illicit drugs in a white Toyota Sienna to Onitsha, Anambra State. A search using sniffer dogs uncovered 7.6kg of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine concealed within the vehicle’s body compartments. This led to a swift follow-up operation at Okpara’s residence, where an additional 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine were recovered.
In a continued clampdown on drug trafficking, NDLEA operatives conducted numerous operations across the country, intercepting large volumes of illicit substances, arresting traffickers, and dismantling distribution networks.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, a joint operation between NDLEA and Aviation Security officials on Wednesday, July 16, led to the arrest of Omoregie Nice Uyiosa, an Italy-bound passenger. 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol were recovered from his luggage. The suspect confessed he had intended to resell the drugs in Italy at higher prices.
In another airport operation on Thursday, July 17, NDLEA operatives intercepted 1.7kg of skunk, a potent cannabis strain, hidden in Golden Morn cereal packs and prepared for shipment to Pakistan. The suspect, Chioba Robert Uchenna, who presented the consignment for export, was immediately arrested.
On Saturday, July 19, NDLEA raided Sarah Sam Hotels located at 115 Ogudu Road, Kosofe, Lagos, which had been operating as a hub for party drug sales. The operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance that identified Obayemi Oyetade as the ring leader. Recovered from his hotel room were 1.3kg of chocolate cannabis, 900g of drug-laced gummies, and 22.9g of skunk. The hotel, a 20-room family-run facility, also housed his mother and siblings. Three vehicles were also seized during the raid.
In Kaduna State, three suspects — Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi, and Emmanuel Madu — were arrested in Chikun LGA where 742.8kg of skunk and Colorado (a synthetic cannabis variant) were recovered.
In Kano State, operatives arrested Lawan Rabiu on July 16 with 36,000 tramadol pills along the Danbatta-Kazaure road.
In Gombe State, on July 18, two suspects — Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris — were intercepted with 29kg of skunk at Kwadom in Yemaltu Deba LGA, while another suspect, Aliyu Abubakar, was arrested at Gombe roundabout with 25,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5.
In Borno, NDLEA operatives patrolling Baga Road in Maiduguri intercepted a Mercedes Benz C180 with 74,360 pills of opioids. The suspect, Audu Modu, 44, was arrested.
In Bayelsa State, a 63-year-old woman, Akuna Nelson, was arrested on July 17 in the Osiri area of Yenagoa for possessing 163 litres of “skuchies”, a locally brewed psychoactive drink.
In Kogi State, four men — Ikechukwu Abugu (42), Sunday Ani (18), Chukwu Christian (46), and Emmanuel Olisakwe (55) — were arrested along the Okene-Lokoja highway after 2kg of methamphetamine was found in their vehicle traveling from Onitsha to Minna.
In Abia State, NDLEA agents raided the base of a known dealer, Nduka Obi, 39, at 4 Niger Street, Ugwa Road, Aba, where they recovered various drugs including tramadol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ₦736,000 in cash.
Further seizures included 45,000 pills of tramadol in Enugu from Chisom Okpalaeke, 30, 10,000 capsules of tramadol and a gram of cannabis in Taraba State, with suspects Ngwokwoka Thomas and Mohammed Audu arrested at Dan-Anacha, Gassol LGA
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign. Awareness lectures were delivered at schools including, Government Day Secondary School, Badeggi (Niger), Dah Model Academy, Ngurore (Adamawa), Icon Academy, Nsukka (Enugu), Government Technical College, Nkpor (Anambra), Madrisatul Tahfizul Qur’an Wa Ulumud Deen, Jaba Fagge (Kano)
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers of the MMIA, Lagos, Kaduna, Osun, Bayelsa, Gombe, Borno, Abia, Kogi, Enugu, and Taraba Commands for their commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks. He praised the agency’s continued balance between supply reduction and demand reduction initiatives, urging all commands to sustain the momentum.
“These results reflect a growing synergy among our teams nationwide and a clear demonstration of our zero-tolerance stance on illicit drugs,” Marwa said.
