The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Sunday Ibigide, bringing an end to a three-year manhunt that exposed the vast networks of Nigeria’s narcotics underworld.
In a sweeping week of coordinated raids across Delta, Rivers, Enugu, Lagos, Gombe, Taraba, Kaduna, Edo, and Kano states, NDLEA operatives seized illicit drugs with a street value exceeding ₦7.8 billion, dismantling what officials describe as one of the most sophisticated drug trafficking rings in West Africa.
The Kingpin Falls in Delta
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Ibigide, aged 36, was arrested on Sunday, August 10, 2025, in Asaba, Delta State, while attempting to distribute 250 blocks of skunk (138kg) concealed in a commercial bus.
The fugitive had been on the run since March 2022, when he was linked to the seizure of 24.1kg of skunk and 10 grams of molly. Despite going underground, NDLEA intelligence units kept him on their watchlist until his eventual capture alongside his aide, Clement Osuya (27).
“This arrest is the culmination of years of painstaking surveillance. It sends a strong message to criminal cartels that no matter how long they hide, we will find them,” Babafemi declared in his Sunday briefing.
Cannabis Plantations Razed in Enugu
In Enugu, a joint operation involving NDLEA operatives, local vigilantes, and the military led to the destruction of 15 hectares of cannabis farms, estimated at 37,500kg of skunk. Six suspects — Ugwuanyi Chinaso (23), James Negedu (26), Sopuruchukwu Obido (22), Ebuka Onu (30), Ukwueze Sunday (42), and Oguche Friday — were arrested, while 74.5kg of processed cannabis was recovered for prosecution.
Separately, NDLEA patrols in Enugu intercepted 20,700 pills of tramadol and cocodamol from Emmanuel Ayogu (53), while two other traffickers — Nsubechukwu Achidde (24) and Osiaja Simple Frank (41) — were caught with 27.6kg of skunk at Enugu’s New Market.
Mushin Mother-Son Drug Syndicate Busted in Lagos
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives stormed a Mushin drug warehouse where 52-year-old Muyibat Mumuni and her son, Faruk Mumuni (25), were arrested with 298 blocks of Ghana Loud (149kg).
Another Lagos trafficker, Emmanuel Samuel, was captured in Ajah, Lekki, with 8.5kg of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain sourced from overseas.
Massive Pharmaceutical Hauls Across the North
In Gombe, operatives arrested Sani Mohammed (32) with 128,000 capsules of tramadol, while in Kogi State, Sulaiman Oyedokun (47), a commercial driver, was caught transporting 337,800 capsules of tramadol on the Okene-Lokoja highway en route to Kotangora, Niger State.
In Taraba, NDLEA operatives, backed by the Sardauna Emirate Council and Nigeria Forest Hunters Security Service, raided Tanmiya forest, destroying 11,250kg of skunk cultivated on 4.5 hectares. Another suspect, Saleh Babangida (20), was arrested with 29,840 capsules of tramadol in Wukari.
Kaduna operations yielded 22,640 pills of tramadol and rohypnol, leading to the arrest of Mohammed Amdife (46) and Sulaiman Mohammed (22). In a separate bust, Caroline David (51) and Abdulhadi Umar (30) were apprehended with 111.1kg of skunk along Zaria-Kano road.
Codeine Tsunami at Onne Port
Perhaps the most staggering haul came from the Onne Port Complex in Rivers State, where NDLEA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service, intercepted 875,000 bottles of codeine syrup valued at ₦6.1 billion, and 3.5 million pills of Trodol Benzhexol worth ₦1.7 billion.
The illicit pharmaceuticals, hidden in five containers under NDLEA’s intelligence watch, were seized during joint inspections on August 13–14, 2025 at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT).
Edo, Kano, and Badagry Operations
In Edo State, officers recovered 432kg of skunk in Etsako West and another 130kg from a warehouse in Owan West.
In Kano, traffickers Tahiru Madu Manga (25) and Ibrahim Audu (47) were arrested with 92kg of skunk along the Zaria-Kano road.
Meanwhile, along the Badagry-Lagos highway, Akeem Adegun was intercepted with 4,320 ampoules of ketamine injection, a dangerous anesthetic increasingly abused as a recreational drug.
War on Drugs Intensifies
The latest string of arrests highlights NDLEA’s aggressive crackdown on drug cartels that span rural farmlands, urban slums, and international smuggling hubs.
Officials say the operations not only disrupted major supply chains but also dealt a financial blow to cartels seeking to flood Nigerian communities with high-grade cannabis, opioids, and synthetic drugs.
Babafemi stressed that NDLEA would sustain the momentum:
“From Asaba to Onne Port, from Mushin to Taraba forests, this war is relentless. These seizures reaffirm our resolve to dismantle every layer of the drug economy feeding crime, violence, and addiction in Nigeria.”
