In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said Ashiru was arrested on May 14, 2025, at Barazana street, Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari LGA, Kaduna state, by officers acting on credible intelligence.
Babafemi said the suspect had been arrested and prosecuted by NDLEA for drug dealing offences, was convicted and served a 10-year jail term between 2014 and 2024.
“He claimed to have been in the illicit drug trade for the past 46 years,” the statement reads.
The NDLEA said it also arrested 82-year-old Uloma Uchechi Sunday, as well as her 32-year-old daughter Chisom Uchechi, in Abia state on May 17.
According to the statement, the NDLEA raided their home at Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village, where different quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol, and skunk, a strain of cannabis, as well as cash exhibit of N130,600, were recovered from them.
“The grandma confessed that she and her daughter took over the drug trade after her son, who started the business, died two years ago,” the statement reads.
Babafemi also said that in the Port Harcourt ports complex in Onne, Rivers state, three million pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal “worth N2.1 billion in street value were intercepted in one of the containers”, which the agency had watch-listed based on intelligence.
“The seizure was made on Wednesday, 14th May during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies,” the statement added.
“In like manner, NDLEA operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Tuesday, 13th May intercepted another watch-listed container declared to have new car parts and accessories from India.
“During a joint examination with other security agencies, a total of 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1 billion in street value were discovered concealed in the shipment.
“In Kwara state, no fewer than 199,200 pills of tramadol were recovered from two suspects: Abdulwahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail on Friday, 16th May, following their arrest at Gegele area of Ilorin by NDLEA operatives who also raided Favour Lodge in the state capital where an HND 1 student of the Department of Laboratory Science Technology, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef was arrested with 650 grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis already measured in 149 cups, which he sells to other students.”
