The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 75-year-old man, identified as Okebe Samuel, in Ebonyi State as part of a sweeping nationwide operation targeting drug trafficking and illicit substance distribution across Nigeria. The arrest has drawn significant public attention, with the agency emphasizing that age does not exempt anyone from accountability under the law.
According to the NDLEA, the septuagenarian was apprehended in Okposi community, Ebonyi State, after intelligence-led investigations linked him to the sale of illegal drugs within the area. Operatives reportedly recovered 300 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from the suspect. The agency alleged that the substance was packaged in retail quantities and sold to young people in the community, a development that raised concerns about the growing spread of drug abuse at the grassroots level.
The arrest formed part of a broader anti-drug operation conducted across several states. In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck transporting building materials from Onitsha to Jalingo and discovered a massive cache of concealed drugs beneath the cargo. Authorities recovered over 320,000 capsules of tramadol, hundreds of ampoules of pentazocine injection, thousands of rohypnol tablets, and hundreds of bottles of codeine-based cough syrup. A 22-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure. ..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
Additional operations in Edo, Imo, Kano, and Gombe states led to the arrest of several other suspects, including female drug dealers and traffickers allegedly involved in the distribution of cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol, and other prohibited substances. The coordinated raids underscore the agency’s intensified efforts to dismantle drug networks operating across different parts of the country.
Reacting to the latest successes, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and reaffirmed the agency’s determination to combat drug trafficking regardless of the age, status, or background of those involved. He stressed that the fight against narcotics remains a critical component of efforts to protect communities, particularly young people who are often the most vulnerable to substance abuse.
Beyond enforcement activities, the agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse campaign through awareness and sensitisation programmes in schools and communities across the country. NDLEA officials maintain that reducing drug demand through education is just as important as disrupting supply chains and prosecuting offenders.
The arrest of a 75-year-old suspect has become one of the most striking aspects of the latest operation, serving as a reminder that the drug trade cuts across age groups and social backgrounds. As the NDLEA expands its crackdown nationwide, authorities say they remain committed to tracking down traffickers, dismantling distribution networks, and reducing the devastating impact of illicit drugs on Nigerian communities.
