NDLEA Nabs 60-Year-Old Drug Baron After Seven Years on the Run

After years of evading capture, a notorious 60-year-old drug baron, Okpara Paul Chigozie, has finally been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The breakthrough, made by the agency’s Special Operations Unit, follows a years-long hunt that began in 2019.

According to NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Chigozie was apprehended at his residence on 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri, Ojo area of Lagos, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. His arrest came hours after officers intercepted one of his drug shipments at Ilasamaja along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway at 5:45 a.m. the same day.

A courier working for the drug boss, 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, was intercepted while attempting to transport narcotics to Onitsha, Anambra State, in a white Toyota Sienna. With the help of sniffer dogs, officers uncovered 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the car’s body panels.

“Okpara, who has been on the wanted list of the NDLEA since 2019, was eventually nabbed at his hideout… following the interception of some of his consignments,” Babafemi said.

A follow-up search at the suspect’s home yielded more contraband—1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine—further confirming the scale of the operation.

At Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, a joint operation with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) led to the seizure of 7,790 pills of Tramadol and Rohypnol from the luggage of an Italy-bound passenger, Omoregie Nice Uyiosa. The suspect confessed to purchasing the drugs himself, intending to sell them in Italy for profit.

In a separate bust at the airport’s export shed, NDLEA officials on July 17 intercepted 1.7kg of cannabis sativa (skunk) disguised inside packs of Golden Morn cereal, bound for Pakistan. The courier, Chioba Robert Uchenna, was arrested immediately.

Elsewhere in Lagos, NDLEA officers stormed Sarah Sam Hotels in Kosofe on Saturday, July 19, acting on credible intelligence. The hotel, allegedly serving as a drug distribution hub, was linked to Obayemi Oyetade. Recovered from his room were 1.3kg of cannabis-infused chocolate, 900 grams of cannabis-laced gummies, and 22.9 grams of skunk. Three vehicles were also seized.

In Kaduna State, three suspects—Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi, and Emmanuel Madu—were arrested the same day at Narayi High Cost in Chikun LGA with a total of 742.866 kilograms of skunk and synthetic cannabis (Colorado).

Meanwhile, in Kano, NDLEA operatives intercepted Lawan Rabiu along Danbatta-Kazaure Road with 36,000 Tramadol pills in his possession on Wednesday, July 16.

The agency says investigations are ongoing as it continues to intensify efforts to dismantle networks fueling the distribution of illicit substances across the country.