The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ebonyi State has announced the arrest of 157 suspected drug offenders and the seizure of more than 134 kilogrammes of illicit substances across the state within three months.
The Ebonyi State Commander of the NDLEA, Mr Jude Ahamefule, disclosed this on Monday in Abakaliki while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). According to him, the arrests and seizures were carried out between October and December 2025 as part of sustained enforcement operations by the agency.
Ahamefule said the suspects comprised 123 males and 34 females, adding that six of them had already been successfully prosecuted and convicted during the period under review. He described the outcome as a reflection of the agency’s intensified efforts to curb drug abuse and trafficking in the state.
The NDLEA commander listed the drugs seized to include cannabis sativa, heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol, diazepam and other psychotropic substances. In terms of quantity, he said operatives recovered 106.978kg of cannabis sativa, 2,619 capsules of tramadol (100mg), 1.407kg of methamphetamine, equivalent to 303 pinches, 0.0589kg of diazepam, comprising 700 tablets, as well as 480 millilitres of phenobarbitone syrup, among other illicit drugs.
Beyond arrests and seizures, Ahamefule noted that the command also made progress in its rehabilitation and counselling mandate. He said four clients undergoing treatment for drug dependence were successfully rehabilitated and discharged during the period, while six new clients were admitted into the NDLEA rehabilitation facility.
“Currently, a total of 12 clients are receiving rehabilitation in our facility,” he said, adding that 44 suspects were referred to the counselling unit of the command for further assessment and support.
The NDLEA boss reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to combating drug abuse and trafficking in Ebonyi State, stressing that enforcement alone was not sufficient without rehabilitation and preventive education. He urged residents, particularly young people, to shun drug-related activities and warned traffickers and dealers to desist or face the full weight of the law.
Ahamefule also called for greater community cooperation, noting that timely information from members of the public had continued to play a crucial role in the success of NDLEA operations.
The NDLEA is a federal law enforcement agency mandated to eliminate the cultivation, processing, manufacture, sale, exportation and trafficking of hard drugs in Nigeria, while also promoting drug demand reduction through counselling and rehabilitation programmes.
