Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested an 80-year-old man, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, after recovering large quantities of illicit drugs concealed in mannequins and during coordinated operations across several states.
Nkanta, described as a notorious drug dealer, was re-arrested following intelligence-led surveillance in his Mmanta–Abak community in Akwa Ibom State. A search of his residence led to the recovery of 5.7 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis. The octogenarian had previously been arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced to two years in prison, but reportedly returned to the drug trade after his release.
In a separate operation in the same state, NDLEA officers intercepted a 37-year-old businessman, Ani Onyebuchi Romans, along the Oron–Ibaka road while he was transporting full-body mannequins meant for a clothing business. A thorough search revealed that the mannequins were stuffed with tramadol pills weighing 5.3 kilograms. Investigations showed the suspect purchased the drugs in Onitsha and intended to traffic them across the border into Cameroon.
Further enforcement actions were carried out in Oyo State, where operatives raided multiple locations and arrested several suspected drug dealers. Among them was 45-year-old Remi Bamidele, also known as “Aluko the Mafia,” who was apprehended in Sasa, Ibadan. Officers recovered over 10 kilograms of various cannabis strains, along with two vehicles. Additional arrests in Ibadan led to the seizure of Colorado, Ghana Loud, Scottish Loud, skunk, and cash exhibits exceeding one million naira.
In Edo State, a dispatch rider and two accomplices were arrested in Benin City with Canadian Loud and Colorado, while other suspects were picked up in Irrua and Ubiaja with large quantities of cannabis-related substances.
NDLEA operations also extended to Niger, Taraba, and Adamawa states, where thousands of tramadol pills and dozens of kilograms of skunk were recovered from multiple suspects. One operation in Adamawa led to the seizure of over 30,000 tramadol capsules from a suspect’s residence following his arrest at an airport.
The series of arrests highlights the persistence of drug trafficking networks across the country, cutting across age, occupation, and region, as authorities intensify efforts to disrupt the supply and distribution of illicit substances nationwide.
