NDLEA Arrests Over 200, Seizes Drug Hauls in Nigeria Raids

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency conducted a series of intelligence-led operations across Nigeria over the past weeks, resulting in the arrest of more than 200 suspects, including a 93-year-old man and a 69-year-old medical doctor, and the seizure of thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs and other contraband.

In one notable case, operatives arrested Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, 93, at his residence in Umuagbaigba, Amavo Nkwogu village, Osisioma local government area of Abia State, on April 7, 2026. A search of his home yielded 7.7 kilograms of cannabis, known locally as skunk. Chigbu, who previously worked as a truck pusher and later as a painter and tiler, admitted to using the substance since 1959 before entering the trade about a year ago.

Further investigations uncovered an international trafficking network linked to the arrest of Gohouri Michael, a 41-year-old Ivorian national, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on February 16, 2026. Michael was intercepted during outward clearance on an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan via Addis Ababa, with 1.49 kilograms of cocaine ingested in his body. He had arrived in Lagos from Italy on January 17, 2026, and shuttled...