The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two elderly men aged 75 and 84 for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
The suspects, identified as 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora and 84-year-old Godfrey Orji, were apprehended in separate operations following intelligence reports linking them to the sale and distribution of prohibited substances to teenagers and other users in the state.
The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, Obiora was arrested on Friday, June 19, 2026, after NDLEA operatives raided his patent medicine store located at No. 4 Club Road, Umuahia. A search of the premises reportedly led to the recovery of 4.64 kilogrammes of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
The agency said investigations revealed that the suspect had been selling the substances to young people, including secondary school students.
In a related development, Orji, a pensioner, was arrested after he was allegedly caught supplying illicit drugs to two teenage students of Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia.
He was initially apprehended by security personnel attached to the school and subsequently handed over to the police before being transferred to the custody of the NDLEA on Thursday, June 18.
One of the students, a 15-year-old in Senior Secondary School Two (SS2), reportedly confessed during interrogation that Orji regularly supplied him with drugs for personal consumption and resale to other students within the school community.
While the two elderly suspects are expected to face prosecution, the affected students have been enrolled in counselling and rehabilitation programmes by the agency.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Oyo State arrested a 75-year-old female suspect, Tudun Olubiyi, alongside Nasiru Buhari, 22, and Buba Musa, 47, during a raid on a residence in the Dangote area of Elekara, Oyo Town.
The operation, carried out on Saturday, June 20, led to the recovery of 118 jumbo bags containing 1,416 kilogrammes of skunk concealed beneath sawdust, according to the agency.
The NDLEA also said its Commands and formations across the country sustained anti-drug sensitisation campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative during the past week.
The awareness programmes were conducted in schools and communities across several states, including Ekiti, Kano, Nasarawa, Katsina and Anambra, while the Rivers State Command paid an advocacy visit to the Paramount Ruler of Rumuogba Kingdom, HRH Barr. Temple Ejekwu, as part of efforts to curb drug abuse and trafficking nationwide.
