The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a major drug trafficker, Okpara Paul Chigozie, in Lagos after evading arrest for over seven years. The 60-year-old suspect was arrested following the seizure of illicit drugs linked to him and a courier earlier this month.
The breakthrough came on July 13, when NDLEA operatives stopped a Toyota Sienna van along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos. Acting on intelligence, officers conducted a search with the help of sniffer dogs and discovered 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside the vehicle.
The driver, whose identity has not been disclosed, was immediately taken into custody.
Further investigations led operatives to a residence in the Isheri area of Lagos, where Chigozie was arrested. A search of the premises uncovered an additional 1.8 kilograms of cocaine and 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine, confirming his direct involvement in the illicit drug trade.
Additionally, the agency carried out successful drug busts in Borno, Gombe, Kaduna and Kano States, recovering hundreds of thousands of illicit drugs worth millions of Naira.
Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retired), commended the agency’s officers for their vigilance and coordination, describing the efforts as a powerful combination of enforcement and public education aimed at curbing drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria.
