Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former councillor in Lagos State and seized various illicit drug consignments from notorious drug peddlers during a series of operations carried out across several states in the country.
The suspect, Sheleru Olalekan, 45, who previously served two terms as a councillor in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area and currently works as a legislative aide, was apprehended at his home in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday, said officers acting on credible intelligence stormed the residence and recovered 40 kilograms of skunk, a variety of cannabis, from one of the rooms.
During questioning, Olalekan reportedly admitted the drugs belonged to him and confirmed that the house where they were found is his property.
The 45-year-old man also acknowledged representing the Orimedu community during his time as a councillor.
In a separate operation in the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA officers intercepted Emeka Hyginus Okwor, a 32-year-old trader travelling from Obollo-Afor in Enugu State to Zuba in Abuja. A search of his belongings uncovered 1,000 tablets of tapentadol concealed inside baby diapers.
The suspect reportedly told investigators he was conveying the drugs to Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, where he runs a provision shop.
Elsewhere, along the Kabba–Obajana road in Kogi State, NDLEA patrol officers recovered 1.55 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic cannabis strain hidden in a carton used for packing a standing fan.
Investigations linked the drugs to Mey Ali Muhamat, a 36-year-old Cameroonian national from Maroua, who was travelling in a commercial bus from Lagos to Cameroon through Lokoja, Kano and Maiduguri.
In Niger State, operatives monitoring the Mokwa–Jebba highway stopped a commercial bus arriving from Ibadan, Oyo State, where they discovered 500 components used for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) concealed in a sack intended for delivery in Pelegi.
Further investigation led to the arrest of the alleged recipient, 21-year-old Osama Abdullahi, in Mashegu Local Government Area.
In another operation in Yola, Adamawa State, NDLEA officers discovered 122,000 tramadol tablets and 700 grams of methamphetamine hidden in a specially constructed compartment of a truck transporting 2,000 cartons of locally produced drinks.
The agency also reported additional arrests in different parts of the country.
In Kano, officers apprehended Muhammed Ali, 20, with 11,283 tramadol pills.
In Ogun State, two suspects, Nazifi Mudansir and Kabiru Musa, were arrested in Ogere community with 46 kilograms of skunk.
In Delta State, Joy Chukwuma, 25, and Eugene Felix, 22, were arrested in Ogwashi-Uku with 18.63 kilograms of skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine syrup, and 4,268 tablets of tramadol and swinol.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested Eke London, 48, and Austin Isusi, 49, in Egbisi Forest in Uhumwonde Local Government Area, where 1,910.25 kilograms of skunk grown on two farms were destroyed.
Another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, 47, was also arrested in Ikhin town, Owan East LGA, with 176.5 kilograms of skunk.
In addition to its anti-drug enforcement efforts, the agency said it has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across the country.
The sensitisation programmes are being conducted in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities nationwide.
Meanwhile, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), has commended officers in the Lagos, FCT, Kano, Niger, Kogi, Edo, Ogun, Delta and Adamawa commands for their efforts and urged them to sustain the agency’s dual strategy of strict enforcement and public education in tackling drug abuse and trafficking.
