Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids as well as 6,000kg of cannabis worth over N3.4 billion in combined street value.

The successes were recorded in a series of operations across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the Federal Capital Territory.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday,  said the agency also arrested a suspected fake police officer, a mechanic allegedly using his workshop as a drug storage facility and three young suspects found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a pistol and ammunition.

According to Babafemi, the operatives intercepted 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion.

The operation, he said also led to the arrest of 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe, who was allegedly transporting 292.48kg of skunk in a silver Toyota Sienna bus along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, on Wednesday, September 16.

According to the NDLEA, Ekpe had allegedly impersonated a senior police officer to evade security checks while transporting illicit drugs across state lines.

The agency said, “Investigation established that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged ID card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments.”

A 39-year-old accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested during the operation.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a location on Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.

The agency said Ossai “used his auto-repair workshop as a front for storing illicit drugs.”

Officers recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152g of methamphetamine and a metal box used to store the illicit substances.

At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived on September 12, was placed under intensive monitoring following intelligence received by NDLEA operatives.

The shipment was subjected to a joint physical examination with Customs and other security agencies on Wednesday, September 16.

The agency said, “The search uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75 kilograms, concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded within two Toyota Sienna vehicles in the container.”

In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area, arrested Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18, on Tuesday, September 15.

The suspects were allegedly found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.

Also in Niger State, NDLEA officers on Friday, September 18, arrested Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, along the Abaji-Abuja highway.

More than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets were recovered from the suspects.

 
The agency said the drugs were “concealed in eight sacks en route from Onitsha, Anambra state to Mararaba, Nasarawa state.”

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on Friday, September 18, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg.

Seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were also intercepted at a logistics company, with a suspect, Luke Ugokwe, taken into custody.

In another operation in Lagos, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu was arrested at Apogbon on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.

In Gombe State, 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, who were arrested separately at the Barunde area and Gombe main market on Friday, September 18.

In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday.

Meanwhile, four suspects identified as Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo State.

The operation also led to the destruction of 5,000kg of skunk, while 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered for the prosecution of the suspects.

While commending the officers and personnel of the affected commands, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the operations.

Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the agency’s approach to drug control.

He said they should “continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.”

A Nigerian woman residing in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has reportedly been arrested and charged for voting illegally in the 2022 midterm elections.

56-year-old Okafor was also accused of voting in the 2024 presidential primary election despite not being a United States citizen.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.

According to the statement, “BOSTON – A Nigerian national residing in Lynn, Mass. has been arrested and charged with illegally voting in the 2022 midterm elections. Defendant also allegedly voted in the 2024 Presidential primary election.”

The statement identified the defendant as Okafor and said she was charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. It added that she was arrested on Wednesday morning and was expected to appear in federal court in Boston later that day.

The statement stated further: “Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, is charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. The defendant was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.”

According to the charging documents, Okafor is a Nigerian citizen who was born in Aba, Nigeria. The documents stated that she obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but was not a US citizen and had not applied for US citizenship.

The US Attorney’s Office said the alleged voting offences began before Okafor obtained her permanent resident status.

It said, “In July 2022, Okafor allegedly submitted a voter registration card, signing her name under a certification which provided ‘I am a citizen of the United States … Signed under penalty of perjury.’ The City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote, and Okafor allegedly voted in the midterm elections that fall.”

The authorities further alleged that Okafor registered to vote again in 2023 and declared herself a US citizen on the registration form.

The statement said, “It is further alleged that Okafor submitted a second voter registration form in October of 2023, checking the ‘U.S. Citizen’ box and signing under the US citizen certification. Okafor allegedly voted in the 2024 presidential primary election.”

The charge of unlawful voting as an alien carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000.

The statement said, “The charge of unlawful voting as an alien provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. The defendant may be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed.”

It added that any sentence would be determined by a federal district court judge based on the US Sentencing Guidelines and the statutes governing sentencing in federal criminal cases.

The case was announced by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.

Assistant US Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The statement also linked the case to the district’s recently established Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, which was announced by Foley in March 2026.

It said, “On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts.”

The US Department of Justice subsequently announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division in April 2026 to investigate and prosecute fraud against Americans.

The statement said, “On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.”

The office, however, stressed that the allegations contained in the charging document had not been established in court.

It stated, “The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.”

The death toll from the suspected poisonous herbal drink in Ondo State has risen to 49, while almost 200 people are reportedly affected by the health crisis.

According to latest reports, the incident, which started in Araromi-Obu and Odigbo communities in the Odigbo Local Government Area, has now spread to the Irele Local Government Area, where eight deaths have reportedly been reported.

It would be recalled that no fewer than 29 residents of Araromi-Obu and Odigbo were said to have died after consuming the substance.

However, the death toll has reportedly risen to 49 as of Wednesday.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, who confirmed the latest number of affected persons, said the health crisis had extended to the Irele Local Government Area.

Ajaka said eight people had been reported dead in Irele as of Tuesday night.

He said, “As we are now, Irele is where we have a serious issue. Our people were there and many people have died. About eight people have been recorded to have died as of last night.

“So, all the people that have been affected altogether now are about 170, those that have been admitted and those that have died.”

The commissioner attributed the health crisis to the consumption of ethanol by the victims, adding that the state government had intensified its response to prevent the situation from spreading to other local government areas.

He said medical and health officials, alongside other stakeholders, had been deployed to affected communities as soon as reports emerged.

“We are always fast about it. Wherever and whenever we hear reports of the issue, our teams are already in Irele as I’m talking to you now,” Ajaka added.

The Ondo State Police Command had earlier arrested a man, Oloruntoba Babatunde, popularly known as “Meko,” over the production of a herbal liquid substance suspected to be linked to the health crisis.

The command also said 14 other persons were arrested for allegedly violating a ban on the sale of herbal products imposed by the local government.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement, adding that the command had commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.