Lagos State, Nigeria — Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria’s federal agency responsible for combating drug trafficking and abuse, have arrested a former local government councillor in Lagos State following intelligence linking him to the sale and distribution of illegal drugs.
The suspect, Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, a former two-term councillor in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State in southwestern Nigeria, was arrested during an operation at his residence in the Ilado community.
According to the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, officers conducted the arrest after receiving credible intelligence about alleged drug trafficking activities.
Babafemi said, “The 45-year-old ex-local council chief who currently serves as a legislative aide was arrested on Monday, March 2, 2026, at his residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, where a search was conducted and 40 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from one of his rooms.
“In his statement, Sheleru admitted ownership of the exhibit and the property where it was recovered.
“He said he had previously served two terms as a Councilor representing the Orimedu community in the Ibeju-Lekki local government council”.
Okay News reports that the arrest was part of a series of operations carried out by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency across several Nigerian states aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the administrative capital of Nigeria, officers intercepted a 32-year-old businessman identified as Emeka Hyginus Okwor on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. He was travelling in a vehicle from Obollo-Afor in Enugu State, southeastern Nigeria, toward Zuba in the Federal Capital Territory.
During a search of his luggage, officers discovered 1,000 pills of tapentadol 250 milligrams hidden inside baby diapers. Tapentadol is a strong opioid pain medication that is often abused when diverted from legitimate medical use.
The suspect reportedly admitted that the drugs belonged to him and said he was transporting them to Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State in north-central Nigeria, where he operates a small provision store.
On the same day, officers on patrol along the Kabba–Obajana highway in Kogi State intercepted another suspect transporting illegal drugs concealed inside a household appliance package.
The suspect, 36-year-old Mey Ali Muhamat, a citizen of Cameroon from Maroua in the Far North Region of the Republic of Cameroon, was found with 1.550 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, hidden inside a standing fan carton.
Authorities said he was travelling on a commercial bus from Lagos in southwestern Nigeria toward Cameroon through a route passing Lokoja, Kano, and Maiduguri.
In another operation on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, NDLEA officers in Niger State intercepted a commercial bus travelling from Ibadan in Oyo State. Inside the vehicle, officers discovered 500 pieces of improvised explosive device components concealed in a white sack intended for delivery in Pelegi.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, 21-year-old Osama Abdullahi, in Pelegi, located in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Further enforcement operations took place in other parts of the country.
In Yola, the capital of Adamawa State in northeastern Nigeria, officers recovered 122,000 pills of tramadol and 700 grams of methamphetamine from a hidden compartment in a truck marked ENU 645XX. The vehicle was transporting 2,000 cartons of locally produced alcoholic drinks.
In Kano State in northern Nigeria, a 20-year-old suspect identified as Muhammed Ali was arrested on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at Gadar Tamburawa with 11,283 pills of tramadol.
Meanwhile, in Ogun State in southwestern Nigeria, NDLEA officers carried out a raid in Ogere town where two suspects, Nazifi Mudansir and Kabiru Musa, were arrested with 46 kilograms of skunk.
In Delta State in southern Nigeria, two suspects identified as Joy Chukwuma, 25, and Eugene Felix, 22, were arrested on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Ogwashi-Uku. Officers recovered 18.63 kilograms of skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine-based cough syrup, and 4,268 pills of tramadol and swinol.
In Edo State, located in southern Nigeria, operatives arrested 48-year-old Eke London and his associate Austin Isusi, 49, at Egbisi Forest in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area. Officers destroyed 1,910.25 kilograms of skunk discovered on two cannabis farms in the forest.
Another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, 47, was also arrested in Ikhin town in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State with 176.50 kilograms of skunk.
Beyond enforcement activities, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency continued its nationwide public awareness campaign known as the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA). The programme includes educational outreach in schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities to discourage drug abuse.
Recent awareness sessions were held at Government Senior College in Apata, Ibadan in Oyo State; Government Girls Secondary School in Katcha, Niger State; and Government Girls Day Secondary School in Tsafe, Zamfara State.
Additional programmes were conducted at Sango Junior Secondary School in Agege, Lagos State; Government Day Secondary School in Illela, Sokoto State; Archbishop Akinola International Secondary School in Afikpo, Ebonyi State; and Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School in Abagana, Anambra State.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised officers in several state commands for their operations.
He commended personnel in Lagos State, the Federal Capital Territory, Kano State, Niger State, Kogi State, Edo State, Ogun State, Delta State, and Adamawa State for their arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain the agency’s balanced strategy of enforcement and prevention in tackling drug abuse in Nigeria.
