NDLEA arrests ex-Lagos councillor with 40kg skunk, seizes drugs hidden in diapers

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former councillor in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State, Sheleru Olalekan, over alleged involvement in illicit drug trafficking.

The 45-year-old, who previously served two terms representing Orimedu community and currently works as a legislative aide, was arrested on March 2, 2026, at his residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki.

In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Babafemi said operatives recovered 40 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, during a search of one of the rooms in the suspect’s house.

“In his statement, ShelSheleruitted ownership of the exhibit and the property Femiwhere it was recovered,” Babafemi said.

In a separate operation in the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA officers on March 3 intercepted a 32-year-old businessman, Emeka Hyginus Okwor, travelling from Obollo-Afor in Enugu State to Zuba, Abuja.

A search of his luggage uncovered 1,000 pills of tapentadol 250mg concealed inside baby diapers. The suspect reportedly confessed that he was transporting the drugs to Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, where he operates a provision store.

On the same day, NDLEA operatives along the Kabba–Obajana highway in Kogi State intercepted 1.55kg of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in a standing fan carton belonging to 36-year-old Cameroonian national Mey Ali Muhamat.

Muhamat, who hails from Maroua in the Republic of Cameroon, was travelling in a commercial bus from Lagos to Cameroon through Lokoja, Kano and Maiduguri.

In Niger State, operatives on March 4 intercepted a commercial bus along the Mokwa–Jebba road coming from Ibadan with 500 pieces of improvised explosive device components concealed in a sack.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, Osama Abdullahi, 21, in Pelegi, Mashegu Local Government Area.

Further operations in Adamawa State led to the recovery of 122,000 pills of tramadol and 700 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the false bottom of a truck carrying 2,000 cartons of local drinks in Yola.

 

Similarly, NDLEA officers arrested Muhammed Ali, 20, in Gadar Tamburawa, Kano State, with 11,283 pills of tramadol.

 

In Ogun State, operatives raided Ogere, arresting Nazifi Mudansir and Kabiru Musa with 46 kilograms of skunk, while in Delta State, two suspects — Joy Chukwuma, 25, and Eugene Felix, 22 — were arrested in Ogwashi-Uku with 18.63kg of skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine-based syrup, and 4,268 pills of tramadol and swinol.

 

NDLEA also destroyed 1,910.25kg of skunk on two farms in Egbisi forest, Uhumwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, where Eke London, 48, and Austin Isusi, 49, were arrested. Another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, 47, was apprehended in Ikhin town, Owan East LGA, with 176.50kg of skunk.

 

The agency added that its commands nationwide have continued the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools and communities across Oyo, Niger, Zamfara, Lagos, Sokoto, Ebonyi and Anambra states.

 

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug supply reduction and public awareness nationwide.