NDLEA Arrests Two grandfathers for Allegedly Supplying Drugs to Secondary School Students

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two elderly men, aged 84 and 75, for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia State.

The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi.

According to the NDLEA, the first suspect, aged 84, was apprehended by operatives on Friday following credible intelligence linking him to the sale of illicit substances to teenage students and other members of the public.

Babafemi said the suspect allegedly operated the illegal drug business from his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road, Umuahia.

A search conducted on the premises led to the recovery of 4.64 kilogrammes of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.

“The suspect was arrested following intelligence that he was supplying illicit substances to young students and other drug users from his patent medicine store,” the statement said.

In a separate incident, a 75-year-old pensioner was arrested for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to students of Saint Silas Secondary School in Old Umuahia.

According to the NDLEA spokesman, the suspect was apprehended by security personnel attached to the school after he was allegedly caught delivering drugs to two teenage students whose identities were withheld.

The security guards subsequently handed the suspect and the students over to the police, who later transferred the matter to the NDLEA on 18 June for further investigation.

Babafemi disclosed that one of the students, a 15-year-old Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) student, admitted during questioning that the elderly suspect had been supplying him with drugs.

The teenager reportedly told investigators that he not only consumed the substances but also sold them to fellow students.

“In his statement, one of the two teenagers, a 15-year-old SS2 student, claimed the 84-year-old grandfather supplied him with drugs, which he takes and also sells to fellow students,” Babafemi said.

He added that while both elderly suspects would be prosecuted, the students involved had been placed on counselling and rehabilitation programmes aimed at addressing substance abuse and preventing further involvement in illicit drug activities.

The arrests come amid renewed efforts by the NDLEA to curb drug trafficking and substance abuse, particularly among young people and school-age children.

Meanwhile, the agency also announced the interception of a consignment of ADB Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a dangerous new psychoactive substance (NPS), at a courier company in Lagos.

Babafemi said the illicit shipment, which originated from China, weighed 9.5 kilogrammes and was concealed inside a carton in an apparent attempt to evade detection.

The agency recorded another seizure on 16 June at a separate logistics company in Lagos, where operatives discovered 300 grammes of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden inside ladies’ handbags.

The NDLEA said the latest operations underscore its commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks and preventing the circulation of dangerous substances across the country.

The agency reiterated its determination to intensify intelligence-led operations, strengthen public awareness campaigns and collaborate with educational institutions and communities to combat drug abuse, particularly among young Nigerians.