The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a string of major successes in its ongoing nationwide crackdown on illicit drug networks, arresting two notorious drug kingpins in Lagos, intercepting suppliers of narcotics to terrorists and bandits in the North-East, and destroying over 24,146 kilograms of cannabis (skunk) in Edo State forests.

Two high-profile traffickers, Victor Nwosa (64) and Felix Chika Obiegbu (49), were arrested by operatives of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit (SOU) after weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance. Nwosa, who posed as a textile merchant, was arrested on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at his residence on 16 Femi Kila Street, Okota, where operatives recovered 4.33kg of heroin and 448g of cocaine. Obiegbu, known publicly as a wine distributor, was arrested on Thursday, September 11, at 5 Shada Shonefun Street, Aguda Surulere, where 2.9kg of methamphetamine was seized.

In Borno and Yobe States, NDLEA operatives intercepted drug consignments concealed for delivery to terrorists and bandits. In Borno, on Saturday, September 27, officers arrested Baba Kaka Ibrahim (26) at Njimtilo village while driving a Mercedes Benz GLK with 39,380 pills of tramadol 225mg and exol-5 hidden inside the engine compartment. In Yobe, the same day, operatives arrested Halima Adamu along the Damaturu–Maiduguri road with 1.4kg of Colorado (synthetic cannabis) concealed in a travel bag. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Habiba Muhammad at her Baga Road home in Maiduguri. Other key arrests include two suspects, Aliyu Sani (27) and Yahaya Tata (26), who were caught on September 27 along the Zaria–Kano road with 30,030 tramadol pills; three men arrested at Swali jetty, Yenagoa, Bayelsa, with 12kg of skunk and 50 Diana AAA cartridges on September 22; and ex-convict Femi Owoeye (45), a repeat offender, arrested on September 25 in Ikere-Ekiti with 32kg of skunk and 10.5g of tramadol. In Kaduna, on September 22, Adedamola Olayeni (56) was intercepted at the Abuja–Kaduna tollgate with 404 blocks of skunk weighing 262.6kg in a Honda Pilot vehicle en route to Katsina. Separately, Zubairu Haruna (30) was caught with 506g of methamphetamine, leading to the arrest of the intended receiver, Babangida Mohammed (25), in Gombe State. In Lagos, on September 22, 85,100 pills of tramadol and other opioids were seized from three suspects in Apapa, while in Abuja on September 23, Opeyemi Ogundipe (40) was arrested along the Abaji–Gwagwalada expressway with 2.1kg of Colorado.

NDLEA operatives also destroyed a combined 24,146kg of skunk across multiple forest locations in Edo State. At Uromi forest, Esan West LGA, 12,115.6kg of cannabis on 4.8 hectares was destroyed on September 23, with suspects Ernest Uche (44) and Felix Mugorga (31) arrested and 345.5kg of processed cannabis evacuated. At Ogu forest, Igueben LGA, another 12,031.2kg was destroyed on September 24, with 106.1kg of processed skunk recovered. A truck carrying 82 bags of skunk (1,025kg) hidden in charcoal sacks was also intercepted along the Wareke–Auchi road on September 26, with suspects Kabiru Abdulahi (35) and Anas Safiyanu (20) arrested.

The NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), praised officers across Lagos, Borno, Yobe, Edo, Kano, Kaduna, Ekiti, Bayelsa, and the FCT for their resilience and professionalism. He reiterated the agency’s balanced strategy of enforcement and advocacy under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, which last week conducted sensitization programs in schools, worship centres, and workplaces across multiple states. Marwa emphasized that the arrests and seizures underscore NDLEA’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s youths and communities, stating that “every gram of these dangerous drugs we seize and remove from our streets reinforces our determination to disrupt criminal networks and protect national security.”