NDLEA Busts Ex-Lagos Councilor, 500 IEDs in Niger, Drugs in Baby Diapers

By Ifeyinwa Ike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former two-term councilor in Lagos and intercepted major drug hauls, including IED components, in operations across Nigeria last week.

In Lagos, Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, 45, a former councilor for Orimedu ward in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area and current legislative aide, was nabbed on Monday, March 2, 2026, at his Ilado residence.

A search yielded 40kg of skunk (cannabis strain) from one room.and he admitted ownership.

In Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), officers on Tuesday, March 3, stopped 32-year-old businessman Emeka Hyginus Okwor traveling from Obollo-Afor, Enugu State, to Zuba. They found 1,000 tapentadol 250mg pills hidden in baby diapers in his luggage.

Okwor confessed he was heading to his provision store in Guduwa village, Gurara LGA, Niger State.

Same day in Kogi State, along Kabba-Obajana highway, NDLEA intercepted 36-year-old Cameroonian Mey Ali Muhamat from Maroua, Republic of Cameroon. Traveling by bus from Lagos via Lokoja, Kano, and Maiduguri to Cameroon, he hid 1.55kg of Colorado (synthetic cannabis) in a standing fan carton.I

n Niger State, Wednesday, March 4 patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road uncovered 500 IED components in a white sack on a bus from Ibadan, Oyo State, bound for Pelegi. Follow-up nabbed recipient Osama Abdullahi, 21, in Pelegi, Mashegu LGA.

Othe major seizures include: Adamawa: 122,000 tramadol pills and 700g methamphetamine in a truck’s false bottom (ENU 645XX) carrying 2,000 drink cartons in Yola, March 4.

Kano: Muhammed Ali, 20, arrested March 3 at Gadar Tamburawa with 11,283 tramadol pills.

Ogun: Raid in Ogere netted Nazifi Mudansir and Kabiru Musa with 46kg skunk.

Delta: Joy Chukwuma, 25, and Eugene Felix, 22, nabbed March 7 in Ogwashi-Uku with 18.63kg skunk, 10.8 litres codeine syrup, 4,268 tramadol/swinol pills.

Edo: Eke London, 48, and Austin Isusi, 49, arrested in Egbisi forest, Uhummwonde LGA—1,910.25kg skunk destroyed on farms.

Alaba Adeboye, 47, caught in Ikhin, Owan East LGA with 176.50kg skunk.

According to the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Baba Femi, NDLEA Commands sustained War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaigns in schools like Government Senior College, Apata (Ibadan, Oyo); Government Girls Secondary School, Katcha (Niger); and others in Zamfara, Lagos, Sokoto, Ebonyi, and Anambra.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, praised Lagos, FCT, Kogi, Niger, and other Commands, urging sustained balanced drug control efforts.