Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intensified operations against drug trafficking across Nigeria, arresting a former two-term Lagos councillor and intercepting large consignments of illicit drugs in multiple states.
The 45-year-old suspect, Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, a former councillor at Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Council and currently a legislative aide, was arrested at his Ilado residence in Lagos State.
Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA officers discovered 40 kilograms of skunk cannabis in one of the rooms. During interrogation, Olalekan reportedly admitted ownership of both the drugs and the property.
In separate operations, NDLEA intercepted a 32-year-old businessman, Emeka Hyginus Okwor, in Abuja, who was transporting 1,000 tapentadol pills concealed inside baby diapers. The drugs were reportedly destined for his provision store in Guduwa village, Niger State.
Elsewhere, operatives along the Kabba–Obajana highway in Kogi State seized 1.55 kilograms of synthetic cannabis hidden inside a standing fan carton from a 36-year-old Cameroonian, Mey Ali Muhamat, travelling from Lagos to Cameroon.
In Niger State, a commercial bus carrying 500 improvised explosive device components was intercepted, leading to the arrest of the intended recipient, 21-year-old Osama Abdullahi.
In Adamawa State, officers uncovered 122,000 tramadol pills and 700 grams of methamphetamine hidden in a truck carrying local drinks. Arrests also occurred in Kano, Ogun, Delta, and Edo states, with operatives seizing thousands of pills, litres of codeine-based syrup, and hundreds of kilograms of skunk cannabis from multiple suspects.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended personnel across Lagos, FCT, Kano, Niger, Kogi, Edo, Ogun, Delta, and Adamawa commands for their efforts.
He highlighted the agency’s balanced approach to combating drug abuse, which combines enforcement with public awareness and prevention programs.
Recent sensitisation campaigns have been conducted in schools and communities across Oyo, Niger, Zamfara, Lagos, Sokoto, Ebonyi, and Anambra states, educating students and residents on the dangers of drug abuse.
What you should know
The NDLEA has escalated its nationwide campaign against drug trafficking, arresting high-profile suspects including former councillor Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan and seizing large quantities of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine, and tapentadol across multiple Nigerian states.
Beyond enforcement, the agency continues public sensitisation programs in schools and communities to prevent drug abuse.
These coordinated efforts underscore the NDLEA’s dual strategy of law enforcement and public education to curb the spread of narcotics.
