Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 93-year-old man and a medical doctor in a sweeping nationwide offensive against drug trafficking and abuse.
The agency said the arrests were part of coordinated operations across several states aimed at dismantling entrenched drug networks and curbing the circulation of illicit substances.
The 93-year-old suspect, identified as Pa Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, was apprehended in Abia State after operatives recovered 7.7 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, from his residence. According to NDLEA officials, the nonagenarian confessed to being involved in the drug trade for over a year, while admitting he had used cannabis for decades.
In a separate but related development, a 69-year-old medical practitioner, Dr. Chudi Daniel Ofomata, was arrested in Ogun State over his alleged links to an international cocaine trafficking network. NDLEA sources disclosed that controlled substances, including promazepam and promethazine injections, were recovered during the operation.
Speaking on the arrests, NDLEA authorities described them as a clear indication that no age, profession, or social status exempts individuals from the long arm of the law.
“This operation underscores our renewed resolve to go after every link in the drug supply chain, regardless of how highly placed or unexpected,” an agency official said.
The crackdown also led to multiple seizures and arrests across Lagos, Imo, Niger, Borno, Kano, and the Federal Capital Territory, including the interception of 1.49kg of cocaine at an airport and large consignments of cannabis and codeine syrup in other raids.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to intensifying intelligence-driven operations nationwide, warning that traffickers and their collaborators will continue to face the full weight of the law.
