ndlea

The Digest: In a major development on March 5, 2026, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari and his two brothers in a 23-count charge brought by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 58-year-old alleged fugitive drug lord Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who had been on its wanted list and that of British authorities for over 15 years. Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on February 23, 2026, in a...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Reginald Peter Chidiebere, a wanted drug kingpin who had been in hiding for 13 years after jumping bail in a cocaine trafficking case. According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Chidiebere was first arrested in 2013...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Kolapo Oladapo, a prominent Lekki real estate executive and socialite, for allegedly operating a drug distribution network. Oladapo, who had been on the agency's watchlist since last year, was apprehended at his Ikate...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 47-year-old businessman Uche Franklin Onyekwere at Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Returning from Brazil via South Africa, Onyekwere was found with 1.60 kilograms of cocaine. A body scan and subsequent...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has made its largest single heroin seizure at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, arresting a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Benevides. The suspect was intercepted with 30.09 kilograms of heroin, valued at over ₦3 billion...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 77,792 drug offenders and seized 14,847 kilograms of illicit substances in the last five years, Chairman Buba Marwa announced at an awards ceremony in Abuja. According to Marwa, the operations led to 14,225 convictions...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of Lekan Jimoh, a long-wanted drug suspect popularly known as “Kanmo-Kanmo.” According to an agency statement, he was apprehended on January 16 in Owode, Ogun State, twelve years after allegedly mobilizing...

The Digest: The Federal Government has made drug testing a compulsory requirement for employment in Nigeria’s public service. The directive, issued to all ministries and parastatals, signals a heightened official response to the “alarming rate” of substance abuse and its perceived threat to...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested Mohammed Sani, a suspected key drug supplier allegedly fueling banditry in Niger State, as part of a sweeping nationwide crackdown. Key Points: Sani, 33, was arrested in Kuta, Shiroro LGA, after evading capture for three...

The Digest: Through sustained diplomatic engagement, the Nigerian government has secured freedom for three citizens wrongfully imprisoned in Saudi Arabia after a drug syndicate fraudulently used their travel details. This resolution, emerging from a storm of transnational crime, highlights the...

The Digest: The NDLEA has dismantled a major opioids cartel, recovering substances worth over N6.7 billion. The operation, rooted in the unseen battle for the nation's soul, led to the arrest of Baron Onyekachi Nwanagu and five accomplices from a secret warehouse in a Lagos residential estate...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a vessel carrying 20 kilograms of cocaine at Lagos's Apapa seaport. According to an agency statement, the MV Nord Bosporus, arriving from Santos, Brazil, was found with the Class A drug concealed beneath its cargo...

The Digest: President Bola Tinubu has reappointed Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the NDLEA, extending his tenure until 2031 following a first term marked by over 73,000 arrests and major drug seizures. Key Points: President Bola Tinubu has reappointed Buba Marwa...

The Digest: In a major anti-drug operation, the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted one tonne of cocaine valued at N29.4 billion at the PTML terminal in Lagos. According to the Command’s Comptroller, the illicit substance was discovered concealed in an empty export container that had...

The Digest: Lagos celebrity and nightclub owner Mike Nwalie, popularly known as Pretty Mike, has been granted bail after facing charges for alleged drug possession and permitting his venue to host illegal drug activities, highlighting the ongoing scrutiny of nightlife establishments. Key...

The Digest: The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture of socialite Pretty Mike's nightclub, Proxy Lagos, to the Federal Government following allegations by the NDLEA that the venue was used as a storage and distribution center for illicit drugs. Key Points: Justice...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared a zero-tolerance stance against the emerging trend of organized "drug parties," warning nightclub operators and attendees that such gatherings constitute serious criminal offenses under Nigerian law. The warning follows...

The Digest: A 17-year-old secondary school student was reportedly shot and killed, and four other residents were injured, when operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted a midnight raid in Okeigho-Okpuje Iuleha, Edo State. The incident, which occurred around 4...

The Digest: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Lagos socialite Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, popularly known as Pretty Mike, and over 100 other suspects during a raid on a Victoria Island nightclub. According to an agency statement, the early Sunday morning operation at...