Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted and notorious drug kingpin, Sunday Ibigide, who was attempting to transport 250 blocks of skunk, weighing 138 kilograms, using his distribution bus, after 3 years on the run.
Ibigide, 36, was apprehended in Asaba, Delta on August 10, 2025. He came under searchlight on March 19, 2022 in connection with the seizure of 24.137kg of the same psychoactive substance and 10grams of molly but thereafter went underground.
The Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to Thelensng on Sunday.
“However, following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives in Delta State were able to arrest him along with one of his aides Clement Osuya, 27, while they were trying to move the 250 parcels of skunk for distribution on Sunday 10th August 2025,” the statement noted.
Babafemi revealed that no fewer than six suspects were arrested on August 14 and 15 when NDLEA operatives supported by the military and vigilantes raided three cannabis farms in Enugu Ezike, Enugu State where a total of 37,500kg skunk was destroyed on 15 hectares of farmland.
The suspects nabbed in the process are Ugwuanyi Chinaso (23), James Negedu (26), Sopuruchukwu Obido (22), Ebuka Onu (30), Ukwueze Sunday (42), and Oguche Friday. Similarly, 74.5kg of the illicit substance was recovered for the prosecution of the suspects.
In a related development, 20,700 pills of tramadol and cocodamol were seized from a suspect Emmanuel Ayogu, 53, by NDLEA officers on patrol along Nsukka road, 9th mile Enugu on Saturday, August 16, and two other suspects identified as Nsubechukwu Achidde, 24, and Osiaja Simple Frank, 41, were arrested with 27.6kg skunk same day at the new market, Enugu.
Elsewhere (Lagos), a 52-year-old woman Muyibat Mumuni was arrested with her son Faruk Mumuni, 25, by NDLEA operatives at Ladega street, Mushin on Wednesday, August 13, for storing and distributing 298 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 149kg, while another suspect Emmanuel Samuel was nabbed on Friday in Ajah area of Lekki where 8.5kg Canadian Loud (a strain of cannabis) was recovered from their apartment.
Not less than 128,000 capsules of tramadol were recovered from a suspect Sani Mohammed, 32, who was arrested by NDLEA officers at Jauro Jatau, Gombe, Gombe State on Monday, August 11, while a total of 337,800 capsules of the same pharmaceutical opioid were seized by operatives on patrol along Okene-Lokoja Highway, Kogi State from the driver of a commercial bus, Sulaiman Oyedokun, 47, coming from Onitsha, Anambra State and heading to Kotangora, Niger State.
The spokesperson disclosed that a total of 11,250kg skunk was destroyed on 4.5 hectares of farmland on Tuesday, August 12, when NDLEA operatives assisted by Sardauna Emirate Council and the Nigeria Forest Hunters Security Service raided the Tanmiya forest in Sardauna LGA, Taraba State.
He added that 29,840 capsules of tramadol were seized from a suspect Saleh Babangida, 20, at a check point in the Wukari area of the state on Saturday, August 16.
In Kaduna, two suspects identified as Mohammed Amdife, 46, and Sulaiman Mohammed, 22, were arrested in connection with the seizure of 22,640 pills of tramadol and rohypnol at Gwargwaje check point, Zaria and Tudun Wada area of the state. Two other suspects — Caroline David, 51, and Abdulhadi Umar, 30, were nabbed over the seizure of 111.1kg skunk intercepted along Zaria – Kano Road.
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, a total of 875,000 bottles of codeine based syrup worth over ₦6.1billion in street value and 3,500,000 pills of trodol benzhexol valued at ₦1.7billion were recovered from five containers under NDLEA intelligence tracking and watch-list during joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies on August 13 and 14 at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) of the Onne port.
NDLEA operatives also recovered 24 bags of skunk weighing 432kg in a bush along Warake-Auchi road in Etsako West LGA of Edo State on August 13, while 130kg of the same substance was seized at a warehouse in Sobe, Owan West LGA the following day.
The statement added: “A suspect Tahiru Madu Manga, 25, was nabbed by NDLEA officers along Zaria-Kano Road, with 16kg skunk and another suspect Ibrahim Audu, 47, arrested with 76kg of the same psychoactive substance at Gadar Tamburawa along Zaria-Kano Road, Kano State on Wednesday 13th August.
“No fewer than 4,320 ampoules of ketamine injection were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at Gbaji checkpoint along Badagry-Lagos Highway on Monday 11th August with a suspect Akeem Adegun arrested.”
Meanwhile, the Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places, and communities, among others in the past week.
The activities included WADA advocacy visits to former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar in Minna, Niger State; the Emir of Borgu kingdom, HRH Alhaji Muhammad Haliru Dantoro, Kitoro IV, in Borgu Kingdom, Niger State; the Emir of Lafia, Hon. Justice Sidi Bage Mohammed (Rtd), in Lafia, Nasarawa State; and the Shehu of Borno, HRH Dr. Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai Elkanemi, in Maiduguri, Borno State, among others.
Reacting to the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of PHPC, Gombe, Kogi, Lagos, Edo, Kano, Delta, Taraba, and Seme Commands.
Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the anti-narcotics agency.
