After 7 Years on the Run, NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Kingpin with 11.6kg Cocaine, Meth
…Raids Lagos Hotel, Recovers Party Drugs; Intercepts Consignments Hidden in Golden Morn Cereal, Condiments; Destroys 101,150kg of Skunk in Osun Forest
Operatives of the Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 60-year-old wanted drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, bringing an end to his seven years of evading justice. He was apprehended while attempting to traffic large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country.
Okpara, who had been on the NDLEA’s wanted list since 2019, 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 interception of some of his drug consignments earlier that day at 5:45 a.m. along the Ilasamaja axis of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. Acting on credible intelligence, a team of NDLEA officers apprehended Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, 51, one of Okpara’s couriers, while en route to Onitsha, Anambra State, in a white Toyota Sienna.
A search of the vehicle using NDLEA sniffer dogs uncovered 7.6kg of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the body compartments. A follow-up operation at Okpara’s residence led to the seizure of an additional 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, NDLEA operatives, in collaboration with Aviation Security personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), recovered 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol from the luggage of an Italy-bound passenger, Omoregie Nice Uyiosa, on Wednesday, July 16. Uyiosa, who was traveling via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight, admitted purchasing the drugs with the intent to sell them in Italy for profit.
In another operation at the Lagos airport’s export shed on Thursday, July 17, operatives intercepted 17 parcels of skunk (a potent cannabis strain) weighing 1.7kg, concealed in packs of Golden Morn cereal and headed for Pakistan. A suspect, Chioba Robert Uchenna, who presented the consignment for shipment, was arrested.
On Saturday, July 19, NDLEA operatives raided Sarah Sam Hotels, located at 115 Ogudu Road in the Kosofe area of Lagos, where various party drugs were being distributed. Acting on intelligence and surveillance, officers identified Obayemi Oyetade as the ring leader. A search of his room yielded 1.3kg of chocolate cannabis, 900 grams of cannabis-infused gummies, and 22.9 grams of skunk. The hotel, a 20-room family-run facility, also had three vehicles seized as exhibits.
Also on July 19, a raid at the Narayi High Cost area of Chikun LGA, Kaduna State, led to the arrest of Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi, and Emmanuel Madu. Seized from them were 742.866kg of skunk and Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant.
In Kano State, on Wednesday, July 16, operatives apprehended Lawan Rabiu with 36,000 pills of tramadol along the Danbatta-Kazaure road.
In Gombe State, on Friday, July 18, Aliyu Abubakar was arrested at the Gombe Roundabout with 25,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5, while Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris were nabbed at Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba LGA with 29kg of compressed skunk (49 blocks).
On Saturday, July 19, along Baga Road in Maiduguri, Borno State, NDLEA officers intercepted a Mercedes Benz C180 with plate number GUB 409 AA, containing 74,360 pills of opioids, leading to the arrest of Audu Modu, 44.
In Bayelsa State, Akuna Nelson, a 63-year-old grandmother, was arrested on Thursday, July 17, in the Osiri area of Yenagoa in connection with the seizure of 163 litres of “skuchies” (a local mixture of illicit drugs and alcohol).
On the same day, NDLEA operatives along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State arrested Ikechukwu Abugu (42), Sunday Ani (18), Chukwu Christian (46), and Emmanuel Olisakwe (55), with 2kg of methamphetamine concealed in their vehicle en route from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Minna, Niger State.
In Abia State, on Monday, July 14, officers raided the base of a notorious dealer, Nduka Obi, 39, at 4 Niger Street, Ugwa Road, Aba, recovering quantities of tramadol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ₦736,000 in cash.
In Enugu State, on Wednesday, July 16, Chisom Okpalaeke, 30, was arrested along the Onitsha–Enugu Expressway with 45,000 pills of tramadol. On the same day in Taraba State, NDLEA officers arrested Ngwokwoka Thomas and Mohammed Audu, both 44, with 10,000 capsules of tramadol and 1 gram of cannabis at Dan-Anacha in Gassol LGA.
Meanwhile, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continued nationwide. Highlights included sensitization lectures delivered at:
- Government Day Secondary School, Badeggi, Niger State
- Dah Model Academy, Ngurore, Adamawa
- Icon Academy, Nsukka, Enugu
- Government Technical College, Nkpor, Anambra
- Madrisatul Tahfizul Qur’an Wa Ulumud Deen, Jaba Fagge, Kano State
Commending the successful operations, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), lauded officers in the MMIA, SOU, and state commands in Lagos, Kaduna, Osun, Bayelsa, Gombe, Borno, Abia, Kogi, Enugu, and Taraba. He praised their balanced efforts in reducing both drug supply and demand across the country.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday, July 20, 2025
