93-year-old, medical doctor in NDLEA net for drug trafficking
• Operatives arrest Niger couple, recover large illicit drugs in Lagos, FCT, Borno, Ogun, Imo, Abia, Edo raids A 93-year-old great grandpa, Pa Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, and a 69-year-old medical
• Operatives arrest Niger couple, recover large illicit drugs in Lagos, FCT, Borno, Ogun, Imo, Abia, Edo raids
A 93-year-old great grandpa, Pa Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, and a 69-year-old medical doctor, Chudi Daniel Ofomata, have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for trafficking skunk, various cannabis, and cocaine.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement said Pa Chigbu was arrested at his home in Umuagbaigba, Amavo Nkwogu village, Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State last Tuesday during a search of his residence where 7.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis were recovered. The suspect claimed he was a truck pusher, moved to painting and tiling before going into the illicit drug business over a year ago, Babafemi added.
“He claimed he had been smoking skunk since 1959 before turning it into a business,” he added.
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Babafemi also said efforts to unravel local collaborators of an international drug syndicate paid when an Ivorian, Gohouri Michael, 41, was arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano with 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49kg and a 69-year-old medical doctor, Chudi Daniel Ofomata, nabbed in a follow-up in Ogun State.
According to the statement, Michael Gohouri (also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael) was arrested on February 16, this year during the clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET940 to Milan, Malpensa via Addis Ababa.
“Gohouri had arrived in Lagos from Milan, Italy on January 17, this year and was shuttling from Lagos to Enugu for three weeks. He later travelled to Kano where he stayed for a week before ingesting the cocaine consignment in his hotel room. He had expected to be paid 5,000 Euros when he delivered the drugs in Milan.
“Further investigation by NDLEA showed that Gohouri had a shadowy figure behind the scene, giving him instructions on how to move the cocaine consignment through the airport. The figure was eventually discovered to be Dr. Chudi Daniel Ofomata, who was later tracked to his residence at Teachers’ Land Estate, Magboro, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State where he was arrested on 27th March 2026 and flown to Kano on Tuesday 7th April.
“Recovered from him at the point of his arrest include 63grams of promazepam and seven ampoules of promethazine injection,” the agency’s spokesman said.
Babafemi said three suspects, Azeez Sanni, Olayinka Oke and Adekunle Adeyemi, were arrested with 34 kilograms of skunk when NDLEA operatives raided Sango Under Bridge, Sango Ota, Ogun State last Tuesday.
He added that 56.2kg of the same substance was recovered from a female suspect, Ayoka Akinwale, 26, on Onitsha-Owerri Road, Owerri, Imo State last Saturday.
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Last Thursday, in Niger State, he said, NDLEA operatives arrested a couple: Abdullahi Umar, 32, and his wife Adama Umar, 25, during a search of their Takuti village, Lapai Local Government Area home where 118 kilograms of skunk were recovered from their kitchen.
He also said no fewer than 42,290 tablets of Rohypnol; 82,700 mils of codeine syrup and 10,000 mils of Pentazocine injection were recovered from a trailer loaded with vehicle spare parts coming from Nnewi, Anambra State, by NDLEA officers on patrol at Njimtilo on Damaturu-Maiduguri Road, Borno State.
Babafemi said the owner of the consignment Eleje Ibeabuchi, 43, was arrested in a follow-up.
The statement reads: “In Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Tuesday, 7th April intercepted a Chisco Transport luxury bus marked AGU 442 XB going to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 15 kilograms of Scottish Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, concealed in one of the compartments of the bus. Two suspects: Kingsley Nsofor and Opara Ifeanyi were promptly arrested.
“In another interdiction operation in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Saturday 11th April at Mushin intercepted a truck conveying assorted goods going to Onitsha, Anambra State. A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 26,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup and the subsequent arrest of two suspects: Adesunloye Dada and Chibuzor Chime.
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“A raid of the Tora Bora notorious drug joint in Abuja by NDLEA operatives on Saturday 11th April led to the arrest of eight suspects: Abubakar Muhammad; Ali Isiaka; Obed Moses; Ibrahim Musa; Attahiru Audu; Kabiru Buhari; Oloruntoba Samuel; and Ellah Gyandi. A combined total of 11.516 kilograms of skunk were seized from the suspects.
“In Edo State, NDLEA operatives working on actionable intelligence on Saturday 11th April intercepted two long trucks marked LUY 172 XC and LUY 281 XC with bags of processed skunk concealed among cartons of beer on Warrake Road, Auchi. One of the trucks was found to contain 3,900 kilograms of skunk, while the second had 3,345 kilograms, bringing the total weight to 7,245 kilograms.
“Five suspects arrested in connection with the seizure include: Ibrahim Abu, 29; Abu Abdullazeez, 28; Jibril Jaminu, 35; Andrew Moses, 22 and Ganiyu Abu, 21. The consignments were loaded at Sabongida-Ora in Owan West Local Government Area and heading to Abuja when they were intercepted.”
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised the officers for doing a good job and urged them to continue doing so.
