Three years after launching a manhunt for him over drug trafficking offences, a notorious drug kingpin, 36-year-old Sunday Ibigide, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Asaba, Delta State, while attempting to transport 250 blocks of skunk weighing 138 kilogrammes in his distribution bus.
Ibigide first came under the agency’s searchlight on March 19, 2022, in connection with the seizure of 24.137kg of the same psychoactive substance and 10 grammes of molly but went underground afterwards.
However, following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives in Delta State arrested him and one of his aides, 27-year-old Clement Osuya, on Sunday, August 10, 2025, while they were attempting to distribute the 250 parcels of skunk.
About six other suspects were arrested on Thursday and Friday, August 14 and 15, when NDLEA operatives, supported by the military and vigilantes, raided three cannabis farms in Enugu Ezike, Enugu State, where a total of 37,500kg of skunk cultivated on 15 hectares of farmland was destroyed.
Those arrested include: Ugwuanyi Chinaso, 23; James Negedu, 26; Sopuruchukwu Obido, 22; Ebuka Onu, 30; Ukwueze Sunday, 42; and Oguche Friday. In addition, 74.5kg of the illicit substance was recovered for prosecution.
In another operation, 20,700 pills of tramadol and cocodamol were seized from 53-year-old Emmanuel Ayogu by NDLEA officers on patrol along Nsukka Road, 9th Mile, Enugu, on Saturday, August 16. On the same day, two other suspects, 24-year-old Nsubechukwu Achidde and 41-year-old Osiaja Simple Frank, were arrested with 27.6kg of skunk at the New Market, Enugu.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested 52-year-old Muyibat Mumuni and her son, 25-year-old Faruk Mumuni, on Wednesday, August 13, at Ladega Street, Mushin, for storing and distributing 298 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 149kg. Another suspect, Emmanuel Samuel, was arrested on Friday, August 15, in the Ajah area of Lekki, where 8.5kg of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis, was recovered from his apartment.
Not less than 128,000 capsules of tramadol were recovered from 32-year-old Sani Mohammed, who was arrested by NDLEA officers at Jauro Jatau, Gombe, Gombe State, on Monday, August 11. Similarly, operatives on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State intercepted 337,800 capsules of the same pharmaceutical opioid from a commercial bus driven by 47-year-old Sulaiman Oyedokun, who was transporting the consignment from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Kotangora, Niger State.
Also, on Tuesday, August 12, NDLEA operatives, assisted by the Sardauna Emirate Council and the Nigeria Forest Hunters Security Service, raided the Tanmiya Forest in Sardauna Local Council of Taraba State, where a total of 11,250kg of skunk cultivated on 4.5 hectares of farmland was destroyed. In a related operation, 29,840 capsules of tramadol were seized from 20-year-old Saleh Babangida at a checkpoint in Wukari area of the state on Saturday, August 16.
In Kaduna, two suspects, 46-year-old Mohammed Amdife and 22-year-old Sulaiman Mohammed, were arrested in connection with the seizure of 22,640 pills of tramadol and rohypnol at the Gwargwaje checkpoint, Zaria, and Tudun Wada area of the state. Two other suspects, 51-year-old Caroline David and 30-year-old Abdulhadi Umar, were also arrested over the seizure of 111.1kg of skunk intercepted along the Zaria–Kano road.
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, a total of 875,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over N6.1 billion in street value and 3,500,000 pills of trodol benzhexol valued at N1.7 billion were recovered from five containers. The seizure, made under NDLEA intelligence tracking and watch-listing, followed a joint examination with the Customs Service and other security agencies on Wednesday and Thursday, August 13 and 14, at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), Onne Port.
In Edo, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, August 13, recovered 24 bags of skunk weighing 432kg in a bush along the Warake–Auchi road in Etsako West Local Council, while 130kg of the same substance was seized at a warehouse in Sobe, Owan West Local Council, the following day.
A suspect, 25-year-old Tahiru Madu Manga, was arrested by NDLEA officers along the Zaria–Kano road with 16kg of skunk, while another suspect, 47-year-old Ibrahim Audu, was caught with 76kg of the same psychoactive substance at Gadar Tamburawa along the Zaria–Kano road, Kano State, on Wednesday, August 13.
No fewer than 4,320 ampoules of ketamine injection were also intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Badagry–Lagos highway on Monday, August 11, with a suspect, Akeem Adegun, arrested.
Photo and NDLEA Suspects yyy. Caption: Suspects
