A former two-term councillor in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State has been arrested after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovered 40 kilograms of skunk hidden inside his residence during a raid.
The suspect, Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, 45, who previously served as councillor representing Orimedu community in the council area and currently works as a legislative aide, was arrested on Monday, March 2, 2026, at his residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki following credible intelligence linking him to illicit drug sale and trafficking.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, a search conducted at the residence led to the recovery of the illicit substance concealed in one of the rooms in the house.
Babafemi said the suspect admitted ownership of both the drugs and the property where the narcotics were recovered.
“Operatives of the NDLEA, acting on credible intelligence, on Monday 2nd March 2026 arrested a 45-year-old former councillor in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, after a search of his residence at Ilado led to the recovery of 40 kilograms of skunk concealed in one of the rooms,” Babafemi stated.
“In his statement, the suspect admitted ownership of the exhibit and the house where the illicit consignment was discovered. He also confirmed that he had previously served two terms as a councillor representing Orimedu community in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area,” he added.
The NDLEA spokesman disclosed that the arrest was part of a series of coordinated anti-narcotics operations carried out by the agency across several states in the past week.
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, March 3, intercepted a 32-year-old businessman, Emeka Hyginus Okwor, travelling from Obollo-Afor in Enugu State to Zuba in Abuja.
Babafemi explained that a search of the suspect’s luggage revealed 1,000 pills of tapentadol 250mg concealed inside baby diapers.
“The suspect admitted ownership of the consignment and disclosed that he was conveying the drugs to Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State where he operates a provision store,” Babafemi said.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Kabba–Obajana highway in Kogi State intercepted a consignment of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 1.550 kilograms.
Babafemi said the illicit drug was concealed inside a standing fan carton belonging to a 36-year-old Cameroonian national, Mey Ali Muhamat, who hails from Maroua in the Republic of Cameroon.
“The suspect was travelling in a commercial bus from Lagos to Cameroon via Lokoja, Kano and Maiduguri when the consignment was discovered during a routine stop-and-search operation,” he said.
In another operation in Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Mokwa–Jebba road on Wednesday, March 4, intercepted a commercial bus coming from Ibadan in Oyo State with 500 pieces of improvised explosive device components concealed inside a white sack.
Babafemi said a swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, identified as 21-year-old Osama Abdullahi, at Pelegi in Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 122,000 pills of tramadol and 700 grams of methamphetamine were recovered from a truck conveying 2,000 cartons of local drinks in Yola, Adamawa State.
“The illicit drugs were concealed in a false bottom compartment of the truck marked ENU 645XX and discovered during a thorough search by NDLEA officers,” Babafemi said.
In Kano State, a 20-year-old suspect, Muhammed Ali, was arrested at Gadar Tamburawa with 11,283 pills of tramadol, while in Ogun State, operatives raided a location in Ogere where two suspects, Nazifi Mudansir and Kabiru Musa, were apprehended with 46 kilograms of skunk.
Similarly, in Delta State, two suspects, Joy Chukwuma, 25, and Eugene Felix, 22, were arrested at Ogwashi-Uku with 18.63 kilograms of skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine-based syrup and 4,268 pills of tramadol and swinol.
Babafemi further revealed that in Edo State, a 48-year-old suspect, Eke London, and his accomplice, Austin Isusi, 49, were arrested at Egbisi forest in Uhumwonde Local Government Area where NDLEA operatives destroyed 1,910.25 kilograms of skunk on two farms.
Another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, 47, was also arrested at Ikhin town in Owan East Local Government Area with 176.50 kilograms of skunk.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA spokesman noted that commands and formations of the agency across the country also intensified drug abuse prevention campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative.
“The War Against Drug Abuse advocacy campaign continued across schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities nationwide, with sensitisation lectures delivered to students and staff in institutions across several states,” Babafemi said.
According to him, some of the schools visited include Government Senior College, Apata in Ibadan, Government Girls Secondary School, Katcha in Niger State, Government Girls Day Secondary School, Tsafe in Zamfara State, and Sango Junior Secondary School in Agege, Lagos.
Others include Government Day Secondary School, Illela in Sokoto State, Archbishop Akinola International Secondary School in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, and Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School in Abagana, Anambra State.
Babafemi said the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers and men of the agency across the commands for their efforts in combating drug trafficking.
“The NDLEA Chairman commended the officers and men of Lagos, FCT, Kano, Niger, Kogi, Edo, Ogun, Delta and Adamawa Commands for the arrests, seizures and operational dexterity demonstrated in the course of these operations,” Babafemi said.
“He urged them and their colleagues across the country to remain resolute and continue with the ongoing balanced approach to drug control efforts, which combines enforcement with preventive advocacy through the War Against Drug Abuse campaign,” he added.
