Two Elderly Men Arrested Over Alleged Drug Sales to Students in Umuahia

The image of a grandfather in most African homes is often one of wisdom, guidance and protection. But in Umuahia, Abia State, that image has been shaken by the arrest of two elderly men accused of supplying illicit drugs to teenage secondary school students. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Sunday disclosed that 84-year-old Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora are currently in custody over alleged involvement in the sale of illicit substances to young people in the state capital.

According to the NDLEA, Pa Obiora was arrested on Friday, June 19, 2026, following intelligence reports linking him to the sale of illicit substances to students and other young people. Operatives who searched his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road, Umuahia, reportedly recovered 4.64 kilograms of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.

Caught at the School Gate, Allegedly Resold by a Student

The 84-year-old pensioner, Pa Orji, was allegedly caught by security guards at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, while supplying illicit drugs to two teenage students. The guards handed the suspects over to the police, who subsequently transferred the matter to the NDLEA.

The 84-year-old pensioner was allegedly caught by security guards at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, while supplying illicit drugs to two teenage students.

— NDLEA

Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of the case emerged from the statement of one of the students involved. According to the agency, a 15-year-old SS2 student told investigators that Pa Orji not only supplied him with the drugs but that he also resold them to fellow students - a revelation that highlights how drug abuse among young people is increasingly evolving into a cycle of dependency and distribution, with students becoming both victims and recruiters.

Recognising their vulnerability, the NDLEA said the teenagers have been placed on counselling and rehabilitation rather than facing criminal charges. The two elderly suspects are expected to have their day in court, while attention now shifts to the broader challenge of protecting young people from predatory drug networks.

Nationwide Operations Yield Major Seizures Across Several States

The arrests in Abia were part of a series of operations conducted across the country by the anti-narcotics agency. In Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 9.5-kilogram consignment of ADB Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a dangerous new psychoactive substance, shipped from China and concealed inside a carton at a courier company. Another operation led to the seizure of 300 grams of Loud hidden inside ladies' handbags at a logistics company.

The agency also intensified operations against wanted drug traffickers. A raid on the residence of suspected drug dealer Lukman Badmus, also known as Lukman Ogombo, in the Ogombo area of Ajah led to the recovery of codeine syrup and skunk. Investigators subsequently traced drug-related items to a shop belonging to his wife, Aisha Saraki, on Lagos Island, where an attempt by Saraki to flush some of the substances down a toilet during the operation was thwarted by officers.

From Kogi to Oyo: A Trail of Arrests and Seizures

Across other states, similar successes were recorded. In Kogi State, officers intercepted Tochukwu Onah, 33, along the Okene-Lokoja highway with methamphetamine concealed in custard containers. In Ekiti State, a couple, James Tony Chukwudi and James Kehinde, who had been wanted in connection with an earlier seizure of 117 kilograms of skunk, were arrested after months on the run. In Oyo State, operatives arrested 75-year-old Tudun Olubiyi alongside Nasiru Buhari and Buba Musa after recovering 1,416 kilograms of skunk hidden under sawdust in 118 jumbo bags. The agency also recorded major destruction of cannabis farms and seizures in Edo State, where suspects Patrick Imoukhede and Augustine Anyamone were arrested during separate operations.

Beyond arrests and seizures, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools and communities across the country, organising awareness lectures in Ekiti, Kano, Nasarawa, Katsina and Anambra states, while the Rivers State Command engaged traditional leadership through advocacy visits. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved in the various operations, praising their efforts in reducing drug supply while sustaining public enlightenment campaigns.

For many Nigerians, however, the images that may linger longest are not those of seized narcotics or successful raids - but the troubling questions left behind by two elderly men in handcuffs: how did teenagers become customers, how did classrooms become marketplaces, and how did men old enough to be great-grandfathers allegedly become suppliers of substances capable of destroying the future of children young enough to be their grandchildren?