The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 80-year-old ex-convict, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, for returning to the illicit drug trade barely three years after serving a prison sentence for a similar offence, as operatives also uncovered a separate trafficking scheme involving drugs concealed inside full-body mannequins.
Babafemi disclosed that following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives tracked Nkanta to his residence in Mmanta-Abak village, Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, where he was arrested on Saturday, January 10, 2025. A search of his home led to the recovery of 5.7 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, allegedly kept for distribution.
In a related operation within the state, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Oron–Ibaka Road in Oron Local Government Area intercepted a 37-year-old businessman, Ani Onyebuchi Romans, on Friday, January 9. Romans was travelling with full-body mannequins reportedly intended for his clothing business in Cameroon. However, a thorough search revealed that the mannequins had been specially modified and stuffed with 5.3 kilograms of tramadol pills.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect claimed to reside in Cameroon and was returning after the Christmas and New Year holidays when he was apprehended. Investigations revealed that the opioids were purchased in Onitsha, Anambra State, and were being trafficked across the border for sale, using the mannequins as a concealment strategy.
The NDLEA reiterated its resolve to dismantle drug trafficking networks across the country, warning that age, status, or past convictions will not shield offenders from arrest and prosecution. The agency emphasized that intelligence-led operations and sustained surveillance remain key to curbing the use of increasingly sophisticated methods employed by drug traffickers.
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