The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 60-year-old drug kingpin, Okpara Chigozie, ending seven years of evading the long arm of the law.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement issued Sunday said the wanted drug lord was caught attempting to ship large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the South-east and other parts of the country.
He noted that Okpara who has been on the wanted list of NDLEA since 2019 was eventually nabbed at his hideout at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri in Ojo area of Lagos state on Sunday 13th July 2025.
Babafemi stressed that he was apprehended following the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45am same day at Ilasamaja along Apapa-Oshodi expressway.
He explained that in the early morning operation, a team of NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence arrested one of Okpara’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Nnamdi while heading to Onitsha, Anambra state in a white Toyota Sienna vehicle.
Babe said: “The agency’s sniffer dogs were subsequently brought in to search the vehicle after which 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine were found hidden in body compartments of the space bus.
“A follow up operation was promptly carried out at Okparas hideout in Isheri where additional 1.8kg cocaine and 1.3kg methamphetamine were recovered from his residence.”
In Lagos, Babafemi disclosed that NDLEA operatives on Saturday 19th July raided Sarah Sam Hotels located at 115 Ogudu road in Kosofe where different party drugs are being distributed and sold.
According to him, The raid followed credible intelligence and surveillance which confirmed a suspect Obayemi Oyetade as the arrowhead of the drug network.
Babafemi said: “At the time of the operation, 1.30kg of Chocolate Cannabis, 900grams of gummies and 22.9grams of skunk were recovered from Obayemi’s room in the hotel, which is a 20-room facility run as a family business, housing his mother and siblings. Other items recovered from the hotel include three vehicles.
‘Three suspects: Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi and Emmanuel Madu were on Saturday 19th July, arrested during an intelligence-led raid at Narayi High Cost area of Chikun LGA, Kaduna State, where 742.866 kilograms of skunk, and Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis were seized from them.”
Babafemi added that in Kano, Lawan Rabiu was nabbed with 36,000 pills of tramadol along Danbatta-Kazaure road, on Wednesday 16th July.