The NDLEA is intensifying its fight against drug trafficking in 2025 with several major arrests across Nigeria, including notable Nollywood figures.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has kicked off 2025 with major operations across several states in Nigeria, culminating in the arrest of key figures involved in drug trafficking, including filmmaker Emeka Emmanuel Mbadiwe.
Mbadiwe, a director trained in the United States and a well-known figure in Nollywood, was arrested on December 27, 2024 in a hotel room in Lekki. He is accused of having supervised the importation and receipt of a batch of 17.30 kg of “Loud” cannabis, concealed in wooden boxes and shipped from the United States. His alleged accomplice, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James, was arrested earlier the same day at a warehouse in Ikeja, while collecting the cargo, NDLEA reported in a statement received by APA.
Other “personalities” were also arrested. Among them, Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, alias “Iya Ruka”, arrested on January 1, 2025 in Lagos. Considered a network leader operating from Mushin, she is accused of having concealed her activities under the cover of a business importing fabrics and shoes. A truck carrying 1,540kg of cannabis was intercepted before officers arrested him at his Okota mansion.
In Ilorin, two young women were also arrested for producing and selling drug-infused cupcakes to students. In Kano, a local trafficker was apprehended with 149,090 tramadol and exol-5 tablets, while in Port Harcourt, officers seized 316,800 bottles of codeine syrup.
The Director of the NDLEA, General Mohamed Buba Marwa, welcomed the successes, stressing the importance of continued efforts to dismantle drug networks and raise awareness under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
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