NDLEA arrests drug kingpin Sunday Ibigide in Delta and seizes drugs worth billions nationwide, including codeine and tramadol

NDLEA arrests have intensified nationwide as the anti-narcotics agency confirmed the capture of a notorious drug kingpin, Sunday Ibigide, in Asaba, Delta State, after three years on the run.

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According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Ibigide was arrested with his aide, Clement Osuya, while attempting to move 250 blocks of skunk weighing 138kg.

He had been declared wanted in 2022 following a seizure of 24kg of skunk and 10 grams of molly.

The weekend also saw sweeping drug raids across multiple states. In Enugu State, operatives, backed by the military and vigilantes, destroyed 37,500kg of cannabis on 15 hectares of farmland, arresting six suspects.

More seizures followed in Lagos, where a mother-and-son duo were caught storing 149kg of cannabis, while in Ajah, another suspect was nabbed with 8.5kg of Canadian Loud.

In Gombe and Kogi, NDLEA intercepted over 465,800 capsules of tramadol, while in Taraba, 11,250kg of skunk was destroyed in the Tanmiya Forest during a joint operation. Kaduna, Edo, and Kano states also recorded significant seizures of cannabis and opioids.

Perhaps the biggest haul came from Onne Port in Rivers State, where NDLEA, in collaboration with Customs and other agencies, recovered 875,000 bottles of codeine syrup worth over ₦6.1 billion and 3.5 million pills of benzhexol valued at ₦1.7 billion.

In Edo State, raids yielded 562kg of cannabis across two locations, while in Kano, two suspects were arrested with more than 90kg of drugs along the Zaria-Kano Road.

NDLEA operatives also intercepted 4,320 ampoules of ketamine at Gbaji checkpoint on the Lagos-Badagry Highway.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the operatives for their resilience, urging them to sustain the balanced and aggressive approach in the fight against drug trafficking.

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With these NDLEA arrests and record-breaking seizures, the agency has reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling cartels and cutting the supply chain of illicit drugs across Nigeria.