The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested an 80-year-old ex-convict, Ayuba Ashiru, in Kaduna State for being in possession of illegal drugs.
According to a statement on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the elderly man was caught with 2.3 kilogrammes of *skunk*, a strong form of cannabis. The drugs were already packed in nylon and paper, ready for sale.
Ashiru was arrested on May 14, 2025, at Barazana Street, Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari Local Government Area. The arrest followed credible intelligence received by NDLEA officers.
Babafemi said, “The suspect had been earlier convicted for drug dealing and served a 10-year jail term between 2014 and 2024. He also claimed to have been in the drug trade for 46 years.”
In a related development, NDLEA officers also arrested an 82-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, and her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, in Abia State on May 17.
The agency raided their home in Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village, where they found methamphetamine, tramadol, and skunk. NDLEA also recovered ₦130,600 in cash.
“The grandmother confessed that she and her daughter took over the drug business after her son, who started it, died two years ago,” Babafemi said.
Meanwhile, at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, NDLEA officers seized three million pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal worth about ₦2.1 billion in street value. The drugs were found inside a container that was placed under surveillance based on intelligence.
A similar seizure was made at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos on May 13. Officers found 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup, valued at over ₦1.1 billion, hidden in a shipment that was said to contain new car parts from India.
In Kwara State, NDLEA arrested two suspects, Abdulwahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail, with 199,200 tramadol pills on May 16 in the Gegele area of Ilorin.
Also arrested was Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef, a student of Kwara State Polytechnic, who was found with 650 grams of Loud, another type of strong cannabis. The drugs were measured into 149 cups and believed to be sold to other students.
The NDLEA has promised to continue its fight against drug trafficking and use across the country.
