The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug kingpin, 36-year-old Sunday Ibigide, in Asaba, Delta State, after three years on the run.
Ibigide was caught alongside his aide, Clement Osuya, 27, while attempting to move 250 blocks of cannabis (138kg) for distribution on Sunday, August 10, 2025. He had been declared wanted since March 2022 following his involvement in the trafficking of over 24kg of cannabis and other illicit substances.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday, noting that it followed credible intelligence.
The agency also carried out a series of raids and seizures across multiple states:
- Enugu: Six suspects were arrested after NDLEA, aided by the military and vigilantes, destroyed 37,500kg of cannabis on 15 hectares of farmland in Enugu Ezike. Another 20,700 pills of tramadol and cocodamol were seized, while separate arrests yielded 27.6kg of cannabis.
- Lagos: A mother, Muyibat Mumuni, 52, and her son, Faruk Mumuni, 25, were arrested for storing 149kg of cannabis in Mushin. Another suspect was nabbed with 8.5kg of Canadian Loud in Ajah.
- Gombe/Kogi: NDLEA operatives seized over 465,000 capsules of tramadol in separate operations, including a major interception along the Okene-Lokoja highway.
- Taraba: Over 11,000kg of cannabis was destroyed in Tanmiya forest, while 29,840 tramadol capsules were seized from a suspect in Wukari.
- Kaduna: Four suspects were arrested with large quantities of tramadol, rohypnol, and cannabis.
- Edo: Officers recovered 432kg of cannabis along Warake-Auchi road and another 130kg from a warehouse in Sobe.
- Kano: Two suspects were intercepted with 92kg of cannabis in separate operations.
- Lagos-Badagry Highway: NDLEA seized 4,320 ampoules of ketamine injections at Gbaji checkpoint.
The biggest haul was recorded at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Rivers State, where NDLEA operatives, working with Customs, intercepted 875,000 bottles of codeine syrup worth N6.1bn and 3.5 million pills of benzhexol valued at N1.7bn from five containers.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across Delta, Rivers, Lagos, Gombe, Kogi, Edo, Taraba, Enugu, Kano, and Seme for their successful operations. He urged them to sustain efforts in the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative.
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