Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an 80-year-old former drug convict, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, after uncovering a fresh consignment of illicit drugs at his residence in Akwa Ibom State.
Nkanta was apprehended in Mmanta-Abak village, Abak Local Government Area, with 5.7 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
The arrest followed what the agency described as credible intelligence on the activities of the octogenarian, who had previously been convicted for drug trafficking.
Confirming the arrest in a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said Nkanta was first arrested in December 2022, prosecuted, and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Uyo.
According to the agency, the suspect returned to the illicit drug trade shortly after completing his sentence.
Babafemi described Nkanta as a repeat offender who was unwilling to abandon drug trafficking despite his age and prior conviction.
He said NDLEA operatives tracked the suspect to his residence on Saturday, January 10, 2025, where the drugs were recovered during a search.
In a separate operation in Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA officers intercepted a 37-year-old businessman, Ani Onyebuchi Romans, along the Oron–Ibaka Road in Oron Local Government Area.
Romans was reportedly travelling with full-body mannequins intended for shipment to Cameroon when operatives discovered that the items had been used to conceal tramadol pills.
A search revealed that the mannequins were stuffed with tramadol weighing a total of 5.3 kilograms.
The suspect allegedly told investigators that he purchased the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra State, and planned to smuggle them into Cameroon for sale, using the mannequins as cover.
Beyond Akwa Ibom, the NDLEA also recorded significant breakthroughs in other states.
In Oyo State, coordinated raids led to the arrest of several suspected drug dealers and the seizure of large quantities of illicit substances.
Among those arrested was 45-year-old Remi Bamidele, popularly known as “Aluko the Mafia,” who was apprehended in the Sasa area of Ibadan with over 10 kilograms of various cannabis strains, including Colorado, Scottish Loud, Ghana Loud, Canadian Loud, and skunk.
Two vehicles were also recovered during the operation.
Additional arrests were made in different parts of Ibadan, where suspects were found in possession of assorted illicit drugs and cash believed to be proceeds of drug trafficking.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested a dispatch rider and two other suspects in Benin City in connection with the seizure of Canadian Loud and Colorado.
The agency said all suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, reiterating its resolve to clamp down on drug trafficking networks across the country, regardless of the age, status, or background of those involved.
