Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a notorious drug trafficker, Sunday Ibigide, 36, in Asaba, Delta State, three years after he absconded while on bail in Lagos.
Ibigide, who had been on the wanted list since 2022 after narcotics linked to him were recovered, was captured alongside an accomplice, Clement Osuya, 27. The pair were intercepted while transporting 250 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 138kg in a distribution vehicle.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that Ibigide had been declared wanted following the discovery of drugs hidden in his Toyota Highlander SUV in Lagos. “Sunday has been on the run since 2022 after the seizure of narcotics concealed in his vehicle. His arrest followed careful tracking of his movement to Asaba, Delta State,” Babafemi explained.
Across the country, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers and local vigilantes, stormed three cannabis farms spanning 15 hectares in Enugu Ezike, Enugu State, destroying more than 37,500kg of cannabis on site. Six suspects were taken into custody.
In Lagos, operatives apprehended a trafficker, Emeka Ojukwu, with 40.2kg of cannabis hidden inside his Toyota Camry at Cele Bus Stop, while another suspect, Mohammed Sani, was detained at Alaba Rago Market with 1,500 bottles of codeine syrup.
Further arrests were recorded in Taraba State, where Suleiman Mohammed was caught with 1,800 bottles of codeine syrup, and in Kaduna, where Daniel Elisha was found with 45,000 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In Edo State, three men, Rilwan Ibrahim, Richard Aghimien, and Jamiu Olabisi, were apprehended in separate raids with 17,000 pills of tramadol and 2.7kg of cannabis.
The largest seizure came in Rivers State, where NDLEA, working with the Nigerian Customs Service and other security agencies, uncovered 875,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup valued at over N6.1bn and 3.5 million pills of benzhexol worth N1.7bn, hidden in five containers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex.
Babafemi stated that the seizure was made possible through inter-agency collaboration, stressing: “The operatives, in partnership with other security bodies, intercepted 875,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 3.5 million pills of benzhexol concealed in five containers.”
Other arrests included that of Abdulrahman Yahaya in Kano, who was caught with 8,400 tablets of tramadol. In Gombe State, Aliyu Garba was intercepted with 2,700 tablets of diazepam and 1,200 tablets of tramadol.
The Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the operatives for their commitment and cautioned traffickers that the country offers no refuge for them.
“The seizure of illicit drugs valued at more than N7.8bn, along with the arrest of a wanted trafficker in Delta State, underscores our determination to bring every offender to justice,” Marwa said. “This forms part of our War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, which combines enforcement with public advocacy. Our resolve remains firm.”
