KEY POINTS
• NDLEA arrested two elderly men, aged 84 and 75, over alleged drug sales in Umuahia, Abia State.
• Authorities recovered 4.64kg of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam, from one suspect’s medicine store.
• Two students involved in the case have been placed on counselling and rehabilitation programmes.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested two elderly men, aged 84 and 75, over their alleged involvement in supplying and selling illicit drugs to secondary school students and other users in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State.
The anti-narcotics agency disclosed that the suspects, identified as 84-year-old pensioner Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora, are currently in custody and will face prosecution after the completion of investigations.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, operatives arrested Obiora on Friday, June 19, following intelligence reports that he was selling prohibited substances to students and other customers from his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road in Umuahia.
A search conducted at the premises reportedly led to the recovery of 4.64 kilograms of opioid drugs, including tramadol and diazepam.
84-Year-Old Pensioner Caught Supplying Students
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives took 84-year-old Godfrey Orji into custody on Thursday, June 18, after security personnel at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, allegedly caught him supplying illicit substances to two teenage students.
The school guards immediately handed the suspect and the students over to the police, who later transferred the case to the NDLEA for further investigation.
During interrogation, one of the students, a 15-year-old Senior Secondary School Two student, reportedly told investigators that Orji had been supplying him with drugs. The teenager allegedly admitted that he not only consumed the substances but also sold them to other students.
The revelation raised concerns over the growing spread of illicit drug abuse among young people and the role of adults in facilitating access to narcotics.
While the two elderly suspects are expected to be prosecuted, the NDLEA said the affected students have been enrolled in counselling and rehabilitation programmes aimed at helping them overcome substance abuse and prevent further involvement in drug-related activities.
The agency reiterated its commitment to combating drug trafficking and protecting young Nigerians from the dangers associated with illicit substances.