Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency) have arrested two elderly men, aged 84 and 75, in Abia State over allegations of distributing illicit drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia.
The suspects, identified as Godfrey Orji (84) and Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora (75), were picked up in separate operations based on intelligence reports linking them to the illegal drug trade targeting young people.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Obiora was arrested after operatives raided his patent medicine shop, where they allegedly recovered several kilograms of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
Investigators said the drugs were being sold to students and other users from the shop located in Umuahia.
In a separate operation, Orji was apprehended after security personnel at a secondary school in Old Umuahia reportedly caught him supplying drugs to students. He was subsequently handed over to the police and later transferred to NDLEA custody.
One of the students, a 15-year-old SS2 pupil, allegedly admitted that the suspect regularly supplied him with drugs for personal use and resale.
The agency stated that both suspects would face prosecution, while the underage students involved have been placed under counselling and rehabilitation programmes.
Beyond the Abia arrests, NDLEA also reported a series of nationwide operations targeting drug trafficking networks. In Lagos, officers intercepted synthetic cannabinoid shipments concealed in parcels from abroad and seized cannabis products hidden in luggage and logistics facilities.
Raids were also conducted in Kogi, Oyo, Edo, and other states, leading to multiple arrests and the recovery of large quantities of cannabis and other controlled substances. In Edo State alone, operatives destroyed several illegal cannabis farms and recovered hundreds of kilograms of processed drugs.
The NDLEA said the operations form part of its ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse across Nigeria, alongside its public sensitisation campaign aimed at reducing drug demand among young people.
Starnews NG
