The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, after seven years on the run, in a major breakthrough that also saw the agency seizing over 101,150 kilograms of illicit drugs across 13 states within one week.
This information was disclosed in a statement by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.
According to Babafemi, the 60-year-old suspect, Okpara Paul Chigozie, was arrested, ending seven years of evading the long arm of the law.
Babafemi said Okpara had been on the NDLEA’s wanted list since 2019.
“He was eventually nabbed at his hideout at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri in Ojo area of Lagos state on Sunday, 13th July 2025.
“Following the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45 am, the same day at Ilasamaja along Apapa-Oshodi expressway. He was caught attempting to ship large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country,” he said.
Courier arrest and drug interception
In the early morning operation, a team of NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence arrested one of Okpara’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, while heading to Onitsha, Anambra state, in a white Toyota Sienna vehicle.
Babafemi stated that the agency’s sniffer dogs were subsequently brought in to search the vehicle, after which 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine were found hidden in the body compartments of the space bus.
“A follow-up operation was promptly carried out at Okpara’s hideout in Isheri, where an additional 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine were recovered from his residence,” he added.
Seizures at Murtala Muhammed International Airport
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives in a joint operation with Aviation Security personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Wednesday, 16th July, recovered 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol from the luggage of an Italy-bound passenger, Omoregie Nice Uyiosa.
“The suspect who was going to Italy via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight claimed he purchased the drugs himself, hoping to sell them in Italy at higher prices,” the statement noted.
In another arrest at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives at the export shed on Thursday, 17th July, intercepted 17 parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 1.70kg, concealed in packs of popular cereal, Golden Morn, going to Pakistan as part of a consolidated cargo.
“A suspect, Chioba Robert Uchenna, who presented the consignment for shipment, was arrested,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, NDLEA raided Sarah Sam Hotels at 115 Ogudu Road, Kosofe, Lagos, seizing 1.3kg of cannabis, 900g of drug-laced gummies, and 22.9g of skunk from one Obayemi Oyetade. The 20-room hotel, reportedly run by his family, also had three vehicles impounded.
In Kaduna State, three suspects, Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi, and Emmanuel Madu, were arrested at Narayi High-Cost area, Chikun LGA, with 742.866kg of skunk and Colorado (a synthetic strain of cannabis).
NDLEA officers also made seizures in the following locations:
Kano: 36,000 pills of tramadol recovered from Lawan Rabiu along Danbatta-Kazaure road.
Gombe: 25,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 seized from Aliyu Abubakar at Gombe roundabout; 29kg of skunk found with Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris at Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba LGA.
Borno: 74,360 opioid pills intercepted in a Mercedes Benz at Baga Road, Maiduguri; suspect Audu Modu, 44, arrested.
Bayelsa: A 63-year-old woman, Akuna Nelson, was arrested with 163 litres of skuchies in the Osiri area of Yenagoa.
Kogi: Four men, Ikechukwu Abugu, Sunday Ani, Chukwu Christian, and Emmanuel Olisakwe caught with 2kg of methamphetamine along the Okene-Lokoja highway.
Abia: NDLEA raided Nduka Obi’s base in Aba, recovering heroin, cocaine, meth, tramadol, and N736,000 in drug money.
Enugu: 45,000 tramadol pills seized from Chisom Okpalaeke, 30, on the Onitsha–Enugu expressway.
Taraba: 10,000 tramadol capsules and 1g of cannabis recovered from Ngwokwoka Thomas and Mohammed Audu in Gassol LGA.
The agency also destroyed 101,150kg of skunk hidden in a forest in Osun State.
Babafemi quoted the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the intensified synergy between drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts and urged continued community engagement under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, which included sensitization programs in schools across Niger, Adamawa, Enugu, Anambra, and Kano States during the week.
