NDLEA arrests ex councillor in Lagos with 40kg of skunk as nationwide operations uncover drugs and other contraband across Nigeria

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a former councillor in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State, Sheleru Olalekan, over alleged involvement in illicit drug trafficking.

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The 45-year-old, who previously served two terms representing the Orimedu community and currently works as a legislative aide, was arrested on 2 March at his residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, operatives recovered 40 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from one of the rooms in the suspect’s house during a search operation.

Babafemi said the suspect admitted ownership of the drugs and the property where the substance was discovered.

He also confirmed that Olalekan acknowledged serving two terms as a councillor representing Orimedu in the Ibeju-Lekki local government council.

The arrest formed part of a broader nationwide operation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency targeting drug trafficking networks and related criminal activities.

In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives on 3 March intercepted a 32-year-old businessman, Emeka Hyginus Okwor, travelling from Obollo-Afor in Enugu State to Zuba in Abuja.

A search of his luggage uncovered 1,000 pills of tapentadol 250mg concealed inside baby diapers.

Okwor reportedly told investigators that he intended to deliver the consignment to Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, where he operates a provision store.

On the same day, officers on patrol along the Kabba-Obajana highway in Kogi State intercepted a consignment of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis strain weighing 1.55kg, hidden inside a standing fan carton.

The consignment belonged to a 36-year-old Cameroonian national, Mey Ali Muhamat, who was travelling in a commercial bus from Lagos to Cameroon through Lokoja, Kano and Maiduguri.

In another striking development in Niger State, NDLEA operatives on 4 March intercepted a commercial bus along the Mokwa-Jebba road travelling from Ibadan with 500 pieces of improvised explosive device components concealed in a sack.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the suspected recipient, Osama Abdullahi, 21, in Pelegi, Mashegu Local Government Area.

Further seizures were recorded across several states.

In Adamawa State, operatives in Yola recovered 122,000 pills of tramadol and 700 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the false bottom of a truck transporting 2,000 cartons of local drinks.

In Kano State, officers arrested Muhammed Ali, 20, with 11,283 tramadol pills in Gadar Tamburawa on 3 March.

In Ogun State, a raid in Ogere led to the arrest of two suspects, Nazifi Mudansir and Kabiru Musa, with 46kg of skunk.

In Delta State, operatives apprehended Joy Chukwuma, 25, and Eugene Felix, 22, in Ogwashi-Uku on 7 March with 18.63kg of skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine-based syrup and 4,268 pills of tramadol and swinol.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives destroyed 1,910.25kg of skunk on two farms in Egbisi forest in Uhumwonde Local Government Area of Edo State.

Two suspects, Eke London, 48, and Austin Isusi, 49, were arrested during the operation, while another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, 47, was later apprehended in Ikhin town in Owan East Local Government Area with 176.50kg of skunk.

The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse awareness campaign across schools and communities, organising sensitisation programmes in secondary schools in Oyo, Niger, Zamfara, Lagos, Sokoto, Ebonyi and Anambra states.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across the Lagos, FCT, Kano, Niger, Kogi, Edo, Ogun, Delta and Adamawa commands for the arrests and seizures.

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He urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced strategy combining enforcement operations with public awareness in the fight against drug abuse nationwide.