The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested an 80-year-old man, Aremu Shojobi, for dealing in drugs. Shojobi.
The grandfather was caught with 14 kilograms of cannabis at his home in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos.
The NDLEA revealed that Shojobi admitted to selling illegal drugs for the past 25 years.
In a statement on Sunday, the NDLEA spokesperson explained that Shojobi said he got his drug supplies from Benin Republic and sold them daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. “He further claimed he has been in the business of selling illicit drugs for 25 years,” the NDLEA stated.
In addition to this arrest, the NDLEA also seized a massive amount of opioids worth ₦14.9 billion from containers at Tincan port in Lagos. The agency confiscated 25 million pills of tapentadol, a drug three times stronger than tramadol, and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup. These seizures occurred on September 17th and 20th, 2024.
“The 25 million pills of tapentadol have an estimated street value of ₦13.7 billion, while the codeine consignment is valued at ₦2.45 billion,” the NDLEA spokesperson explained. The drugs were hidden in containers under the guise of legitimate shipments.
In other operations, NDLEA officers raided the homes of Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, a community leader in Badagry, Lagos. From his two wives and son, they recovered 226 kilograms of cannabis. Alhaji Talba is currently at large.
The NDLEA also reported other significant drug arrests across the country, including a drug mule caught at Kano airport with 76 wraps of cocaine in his stomach, and seizures of large quantities of drugs in states like Kogi, Niger, and Rivers.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), the Chairman of the NDLEA, praised the agency’s officers for their hard work, stating, “Their operational successes are well appreciated as they continue their efforts in reducing drug supply and demand across the country.”
