The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested three individuals living with disabilities in separate drug operations across Anambra and Kwara States. In Onitsha, 60-year-old Romanus Nwabara was apprehended at Akpaka Forest with 250 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets. Another suspect, 25-year-old Amos Kenneth, was arrested in Ogbunike, Anambra State, with 160.3 grams of Tramadol, 80 pills of Diazepam, 38.23 grams of Exol-5, and 176.93 grams of skunk. In Kwara State, Usman Salisu, also living with disability, was intercepted along Bode Saadu road with 6.3 kilograms of skunk hidden in a brown school bag inside a commercial vehicle.
The agency's largest seizure occurred in Lekki Phase 1, where NDLEA's Special Operations Unit raided a mansion used as a drug stash house. Officers recovered 4,000 parcels of "Loud," an imported cannabis strain, weighing 2,326 kilograms and valued at over N5.815 billion. Two Mercedes-Benz buses and designer packaging materials for retail distribution were also seized. In Nasarawa State, 38-year-old Emmanuel Osita Okeke was arrested in Nyanya-Karu with 129 kilograms of skunk. On the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, a commuter bus bound for Abuja was intercepted, yielding 766 kilograms of skunk in 76 jumbo bags. Suspects Mathew Omohove, Ebuka Desmond, and Babangida Musa were taken into custody.
A makeshift skuchies production facility was uncovered in Ijora Badia, where Bose Jamiu and Gbenga Gege were arrested while allegedly processing cannabis mixed with other substances. Officers seized 270 litres of the concoction and 106 grams of Tramadol. NDLEA's Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the operations in a statement on Sunday. The agency also continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy in schools and communities across Nasarawa, Ekiti, Enugu, Abia, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Kano, and Oyo. NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the operatives and urged sustained efforts in curbing drug trafficking and abuse.
Mohamed Buba Marwa praises enforcement while three arrested persons with disabilities raise questions about targeted vulnerabilities in drug operations. The arrests of individuals with physical challenges suggest possible exploitation in drug networks, yet the agency offered no insight into how they were recruited. NDLEA's focus on street-level seizures and high-value stashes does not address the systemic loopholes allowing such use of vulnerable persons. With over N5.8bn worth of drugs seized, the scale of distribution networks remains a challenge despite ongoing raids and awareness campaigns.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Full disclaimer →
