Nigeria’s anti-drug agency has arrested a man it describes as a major supplier of illicit drugs to armed bandits operating in parts of Niger State, as authorities intensified nationwide enforcement against drug trafficking networks.

According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, the suspect, 33-year-old Mohammed Sani, widely known as Gamboli, was arrested on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at his hideout in Anguwan Fadama, Kuta, in Shiroro Local Government Area.

The arrest came three weeks after he reportedly escaped during an earlier raid on his residence.

Large cannabis seizure linked to banditry

In a statement released on Sunday, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said intelligence reports had identified Gamboli as a key supplier of illegal drugs to bandits terrorising Shiroro and nearby communities.

According to Babafemi, NDLEA operatives had stormed Gamboli’s home in Anguwan Makera, Kuta, on November 20, 2025, but the suspect fled before officers could apprehend him. During that operation, however, officers recovered 471.8 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.

Following weeks of intelligence-led surveillance, operatives later tracked him to one of his drug joints, where he was arrested without resistance.

“Intelligence reports had indicated that Gamboli is a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in Shiroro Local Government Area,” the agency said.

Security analysts have repeatedly warned that drug trafficking plays a significant role in sustaining armed groups in northern Nigeria, supplying fighters with substances that boost endurance and reduce inhibitions during attacks.

Codeine factory uncovered in Abia

Meanwhile, NDLEA officers in Abia State uncovered a clandestine factory producing codeine syrup in Amapu Igbengwo village, Umuakpara, in Osisioma Local Government Area.

According to the agency, the raid, carried out on Thursday, December 11, led to the seizure of 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup weighing a total of 1,152.2 kilograms.

Illegal production and distribution of codeine-based cough syrups has remained a major public health concern in Nigeria, particularly among young people.

Arrests and seizures across multiple states

The nationwide operation also extended to Enugu State, where officers arrested Ossai Emeka, 45, along the Onitsha to Enugu Ezike Road with 7.2 kilograms of skunk. Another suspect, Enoje Agada, 40, was arrested along the Enugu Ezike to Ette Road with 94.6 kilograms of the same substance.

In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives raided a drug joint known locally as “Beere the California” in Ido on December 11. The operation resulted in the seizure of 3.4 kilograms of skunk, 1.6 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, and 400 grams of methamphetamine. A suspect, Ajibade Faruk, was arrested, while the alleged owner of the joint, identified as “Idowu the killer,” remains at large.

A separate operation in Idi Oro, Elekuro, Ibadan, on Friday, December 12, led to the arrest of Olusanya Abosede, 35, and the seizure of 238.4 kilograms of skunk.

Tramadol interceptions and border arrests

In Lagos, two men, Bashiru Babalola, 43, and Ugunwale Ranti, 50, were arrested on December 10 at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Seme Road in Badagry. Officers recovered 50,000 pills of tramadol, each at 250 milligrams.

Ogun State also recorded multiple arrests. Akinwale Makanjuola and Joseph Owolabi were apprehended in Iperu with 73 kilograms of skunk, while Wasiu Lateef was arrested in Oke Agbede, Imeko, with 25 kilograms of the substance on December 9.

Massive cannabis haul in Ondo and Edo

In Ondo State, NDLEA officers raided a compound in Ogbese, Akure North Local Government Area, on December 10. A mother and son, Veronica Obi, 55, and Bright Obi, 29, were arrested during the operation, which led to the recovery of 1,187 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.

Edo State recorded another major seizure when Ohiomah Igbafe, 44, was arrested in Uroe, Owan East Local Government Area, with 461 kilograms of skunk and seeds on December 9.

Operations extend to the North and ports

In Gombe State, officers arrested Muhammed Sani, 50, in Tunfure with 40,000 capsules of tramadol. In a related operation, Muhammad Abdullahi, 52, and Muhammed Hamza, 32, were arrested in Ashaka, Jalingo, with 56 kilograms of skunk on December 8.

At courier facilities in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 907 pills of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline, and bromazepam hidden inside containers of local black soap and designer clothing. According to the agency, the consignments were bound for the United States, Canada, and Sweden between December 9 and 10.

Meanwhile, at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Saturday, December 13, intercepted a container carrying 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23,579 kilograms during a joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

Broader crackdown continues

The NDLEA said the series of arrests and seizures underscores its ongoing efforts to dismantle drug supply chains that fuel crime, insecurity, and public health challenges across the country.

Officials say investigations are continuing, and more arrests are expected as intelligence gathering expands.