NDLEA apprehend drug kingpin, seize 42 bags of cannabis in Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Frank Chijioke Ibemesi, a man the agency has described as a wanted “drug baron”, after several weeks of intelligence gathering and close monitoring of his suspected operations.

In a statement released on Sunday, the NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said Ibemesi, also known as Chisco Bee, had been hiding under the guise of a businessman and hotel owner while allegedly running illegal drug activities.

“The 42-year-old Ibemesi who is the MD/CEO of Franc CJ Ibemesi Nig Ltd was arrested at his Daisy Garden Hotel, 66-68 Agbeke street, Ago palace way, Isolo Lagos in the early hours of Saturday 15th November 2025 after which he was taken to his warehouse at 7 Pius Ezeobi street off Ago place way, Isolo where 42 jumbo bags and four cartoons of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 1,762.8 kilograms were recovered,” the spokesperson said.

Babafemi added that cash recovered included $11,600, £2,000, £2,200, and 50 Canadian dollars.

The spokesperson also noted that on Tuesday, NDLEA operatives thwarted an attempt by a drug syndicate operating at Orita-Apeje, Araromi-Okeodo forest reserve, Ife South LGA, Osun, to load and distribute large quantities of processed skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 11,135 kilograms across the country.

The operatives seized the two transportation trucks and arrested seven suspects.

In Edo, a total of 1,902.1 kilograms of skunk were recovered in parts of the state.

“While 184.1kg was recovered along a bush path at Oza/Igbanke road, Igbanke, in Orhionmwon LGA on Thursday 13th November, 672kg was evacuated from Utese forest, Ovia North East LGA on Friday 14th Nov, with 494kg recovered from a Mercedes Benz car marked DE311BEN along Benin-Akure road where a suspect Felix Edah, 45, was arrested same day, just as Lucky Abagha, 51, was nabbed in another Mercedes Benz car marked JJJ 56 JW conveying 552kg,” the statement reads.

In Ogun, four suspects were arrested with 68kg skunk and 3.150kg methamphetamine along Ijebu-Ode expressway.

Danjuma Tukura, 50, was nabbed with 172kg skunk at Sunkani area of Ardo Kola LGA, Taraba, on Friday, while Wisdom Titus, 24, was found with 84kg of the same substance at Takum area of the state.

On the same day in Adamawa, NDLEA operatives recovered 396,000 capsules of tramadol from a suspect named Ahmed Isyaku Nda, 50, at Aliyu Mustapha International Airport, Yola, while 785kg of skunk was evacuated from the warehouse of a drug dealer currently at large at Asob Maraba Karu, Nasarawa.

In Kwara, operatives on Thursday intercepted a truck along Ilori -Jebba expressway conveying 197 blocks of skunk weighing 78.565kg and 155 cartons of rubber solutions.

Umar Yakubu, the truck driver, was taken into custody.

In another operation, a commercial bus was intercepted at Eiyenkonrin, Ilorin, on Wednesday, with 20 blocks of skunk concealed in a 50-litre jerry can. Ibrahim Bello, the driver, was arrested.

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