NDLEA Arrests Bandits’ Drug Supplier in Niger, Intercepts US, Sweden-Bound Opioids Concealed in Soap Containers
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Mohammed Sani, also known as Gamboli, a supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in Niger State, at his hideout.
Sani, 33, was apprehended on Thursday, December 11, 2025, three weeks after he escaped arrest at his residence in Anguwan Makera, Kuta, Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.
This was disclosed in a statement made available to ThelensNG by the NDLEA‘s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.
“Following credible intelligence about the illicit drug activities of Gamboli, NDLEA operatives had on 20th November 2025 raided his house at Anguwan Makera, Kuta, where they recovered 471.8 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
“Though he escaped arrest during the raid and has since been in hiding, the manhunt for him eventually paid off on Thursday 11th December when NDLEA officers acting on processed intelligence traced and arrested him at one of his drug joints in Anguwan Fadama, Kuta,” the statement partly reads.
Babafemi noted that intelligence reports indicated that Gamboli is a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in Shiroro LGA.
In another operation, NDLEA officers in Abia on Thursday, December 11, raided a clandestine codeine syrup-manufacturing factory at Amapu Igbengwo village, Umuakpara, in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state. During the operation, the personnel recovered a total of 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,152.2kg.
Elsewhere (Enugu State), NDLEA operatives on the same day arrested Ossai Emeka, 45, along Onitsha-Enugu Ezike Road with 7.2kg skunk, while Enoje Agada, 40, was nabbed along Enugu-Ezike-Ette Road with 94.6kg of same psychoactive substance.
Babafemi also revealed that a raid carried out by the agency’s operatives at a notorious drug joint known as “Beere the California” at Ido in Oyo State on Thursday, December 11, led to the seizure of 3.4kg skunk, 1.6kg Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, and 400grams of methamphetamine. He added that the owner of the drug joint identified as “Idowu the killer” is currently at large while a suspect Ajibade Faruk was nabbed at the joint.
Similarly, an operation at Idi Oro, Elekuro, Ibadan on Friday, December 12, led to the arrest of Olusanya Abosede, 35, and the seizure of 238.4kg skunk.
While the duo of Bashiru Babalola, 43, and Ugunwale Ranti, 50, were arrested on Wednesday, December 10, at Gbaji checkpoint, Seme Road Badagry, Lagos with 50,000 pills of tramadol 250mg, NDLEA operatives in Ogun State arrested two suspects — Akinwale Makanjuola and Joseph Owolabi with 73kg skunk at Iperu. Another suspect identified as Wasiu Lateef was nabbed with 25kg of same substance at Oke Agbede, Imeko area of the state on Tuesday, December 9.
In Ondo State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on December 10, raided a compound in Ogbese, Akure North Local Government Area, where they arrested a 55-year-old woman Veronica Obi and her 29-year-old son Bright Obi, and recovered 1,187 kilograms of skunk and its seeds from them.
A suspect Ohiomah Igbafe, 44, was also arrested during a raid operation at Uroe community, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, where 461kg skunk and its seeds were recovered on Tuesday, December 9.
In Gombe State, a suspect Muhammed Sani (alias Sha-Mu-Sha), 50, was arrested with 40,000 capsules of tramadol at Tunfure area of the state, while two other suspects — Muhammad Abdullahi (a.k.a Sakalala), 52, and Muhammed Hamza (a.k.a Mamman), 32, were nabbed at Ashaka Jalingo, with 56kg skunk on Monday, December 8.
The spokesperson further revealed that no fewer than 907 pills of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline, and bromazepam concealed in containers of local black soap, and designer wears, in six different consignments destined for the United States, Canada, and Sweden were seized by NDLEA operatives at two major courier companies in Lagos between December 9 and 10, 2025.
The statement added: “At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Saturday 13th December intercepted a consignment of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23,579kg during a joint examination of a container with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.”
In the same vein, 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, communities, and other places in the past week.
The activities included WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Community Senior Secondary School, Sheme, Katsina; Government College, Tudun Wada Dankade, Kano; and Methodist High School, Makurdi, Benue. The Enugu State Command of the Agency also paid a WADA advocacy visit to HRM Igwe Ikechukwu Samuel Asadu, Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers.
Commenting on the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the officers and men of DOGI, Niger, Abia, Oyo, Enugu, Seme, Ogun, Ondo, Gombe, Apapa and Edo Commands for their dexterity.
Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
