The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two elderly men in Abia State over allegations of supplying illicit substances to teenagers, including students in secondary schools.
The suspects, identified as 84-year-old Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora, were apprehended in separate operations carried out in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the NDLEA, Obiora was taken into custody on Friday, June 19, 2026, after intelligence reports linked him to the sale of prohibited substances to young people, including secondary school students.
Operatives subsequently raided his patent medicine store located along Club Road in Umuahia, where they reportedly recovered 4.64 kilograms of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
In a separate incident, Godfrey Orji, an 84-year-old pensioner, was arrested after he was allegedly caught supplying illicit drugs to students of Saint Silas Secondary School in Old Umuahia.
The Interception
The agency said security personnel attached to the school intercepted the suspect and handed him over to NDLEA operatives on June 18, 2026, alongside two teenage students allegedly linked to the case.
Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the students, a 15-year-old Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) student, allegedly admitted to receiving drugs from Orji.
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The teenager reportedly told investigators that he not only consumed the substances but also distributed them to other students within the school environment.
NDLEA said both elderly suspects remain in custody and will be prosecuted upon the conclusion of investigations.
The agency added that the affected students would undergo counselling and rehabilitation as part of efforts to address substance abuse among young people and prevent further exposure to illicit drugs.
The latest arrests underscore growing concerns about drug distribution networks targeting teenagers and students, a trend anti-narcotics authorities say poses a significant threat to public health and youth development.