NDLEA arrests 93-year-old man, doctor for cocaine, skunk trafficking

A 93-year-old man and a 69-year-old medical doctor have been arrested by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over alleged drug trafficking.

The 93-year-old man, Friday Ahukanna Chigbu, was arrested at his home in Umuagbaigba, Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

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The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday, April 12, said a search of Chigbu’s residence led to the recovery of 7.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.

Babafemi said Chigbu claimed he had worked as a truck pusher but later learnt painting and tiling before going into the illicit drug business over a year ago.

Babafemi said Chigbu added that he had been smoking skunk since 1959 before turning it into business.

The NDLEA spokesman added that efforts to unravel local collaborators of an international drug syndicate paid off following the arrest of 41-year-old Ivorian, Michael Gohouri, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano with 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49kg and the subsequent arrest of a 69-year-old medical doctor, Dr Chudi Daniel Ofomata, in a follow-up operation in Ogun State.

He disclosed that Gohouri was arrested during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Milan, Malpensa via Addis Ababa, on February 16, 2026.

Babafemi stated: “Gohouri had arrived Lagos from Milan, Italy on 17th January, 2026 and was shuttling from Lagos to Enugu for three weeks. He later travelled to Kano where he stayed for a week before ingesting the cocaine consignment in his hotel room. He’s expected to be paid 5,000 Euros when he delivers the drugs in Milan.

“Further investigation by NDLEA revealed that Gohouri had a shadowy figure behind the scene, giving him instructions on how to move the cocaine consignment through the airport.

“The hidden figure behind Gohouri was eventually discovered to be Dr. Chudi Daniel Ofomata who was later tracked and traced to his residence at Teachers’ Land estate, Magboro, Obafemi Owode LGA, Ogun State where he was arrested on 27th March 2026 and flown to Kano on Tuesday 7th April.”

He listed items recovered from the suspect to include 63grams of promazepam and 7 ampoules of promethazine injection.