Three years after beginning a manhunt, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended Sunday Ibigide, a 36-year-old infamous drug kingpin.
On Sunday, August 10, 2025, Ibigide was arrested in Asaba, Delta State, while trying to transport 250 blocks of 138 kg skunk on his distribution bus.
In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi recalled that Ibigide was initially brought to the agency’s attention on March 19, 2022, when agents connected him to the seizure of 10 grams of molly and 24.137 kg of skunk.
“He went underground after that, but agents in Delta, acting on reliable information, arrested him and his assistant, 27-year-old Clement Osuya, while they were transporting 250 skunk parcels for distribution,” Babafemi stated.
With the help of the military and vigilantes, NDLEA agents assaulted three cannabis fields in Enugu Ezike on August 14–15, destroying 37,500 kg of skunk grown on 15 hectares.
Seven4.5 kg of skunk was confiscated for prosecution, and six suspects—Ugwuanyi Chinaso (23), James Negedu (26), Sopuruchukwu Obido (22), Ebuka Onu (30), Ukwueze Sunday (42), and Oguche Friday—were taken into custody.
Another suspect, Emmanuel Ayogu, 53, was apprehended along Nsukka Road in Enugu that same week in possession of 20,700 tramadol and cocodamol pills. At New Market, two more people were taken into custody with 27.6 kg of skunk.
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On August 13, Muyibat Mumuni, 52, and her 25-year-old son Faruk were taken into custody in Mushin, Lagos, for allegedly distributing and keeping 298 blocks of Ghana Loud (149 kg).
Two days later, Emmanuel Samuel was apprehended in Ajah, Lekki, in possession of 8.5 kg of the powerful cannabis strain Canadian Loud.
In Kogi, authorities confiscated 337,800 tramadol capsules from a commercial driver, Sulaiman Oyedokun, 47, on the Okene-Lokoja highway, while in Gombe, they found 128,000 capsules from Sani Mohammed, 32.
In Taraba, NDLEA teams confiscated 29,840 tramadol capsules from Saleh Babangida, 20, and destroyed 11,250 kg of skunk over 4.5 hectares in Tanmiya woodland.
In separate operations, officers in Kaduna seized 111.1 kg of skunk and 22,640 tramadol/rohypnol pills, and they also apprehended four individuals.
3.5m tablets and 6.1bn worth of codeine were seized at Onne Port.
The largest bust took place at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, where 3.5 million trodol benzhexol pills (worth ₦1.7 billion) and 875,000 bottles of codeine syrup (worth ₦6.1 billion) were found.
The NDLEA’s intelligence watch list on five containers, which were jointly inspected with Customs and other security agencies at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), led to the seizures, which took place between August 13 and 14.
Other State-Wide Seizures
Edo State: 130 kg of skunk was found in Sobe, while 24 bags weighing 432 kg were found on Warake-Auchi Road.
Kano State: 92 kg of skunk was found in the possession of two accused, Ibrahim Audu (47), and Tahiru Manga (25).
4,320 ketamine injection ampoules were found on the Lagos-Badagry Highway, and suspect Akeem Adegun is being held.
Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), the chairman of the NDLEA, praised the efforts of the officers of the PHPC, Gombe, Kogi, Lagos, Edo, Kano, Delta, Taraba, and Seme Commands.
He asked them to continue the agency’s well-rounded strategy for drug control, which combines enforcement with awareness-raising for the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA).
He pointed out that recent advocacy visits included meetings with traditional leaders like the Shehu of Borno, the Emir of Borgu, and the Emir of Lafia, as well as former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.
“By combating this threat on all fronts, we are investing in the future of our nation,” Marwa stated.
