Fleeing Bandits’ Drug Supplier ‘Gamboli’ Arrested in Niger

–        As NDLEA nabs mother, child over 1,187 kilogrammes skunk seizure in Ondo

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Three weeks after escaping arrest at his home in Anguwan Makera, Kuta, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, a notorious supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in the area, 33-year-old Mohammed Sani (alias Gamboli) has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at his hideout.

Spokesman of anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, in a press statement on Sunday said the arrest of Gamboli followed credible intelligence about his illicit drug activities.

He said NDLEA operatives had on 20th November 2025 raided his house at Anguwan Makera, Kuta, where they recovered 471.8 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis.

Though he escaped arrest during the raid and has since been in hiding, the manhunt for him eventually paid off last Thursday when NDLEA officers acting on processed intelligence traced and arrested him at one of his drug joints in Anguwan Fadama, Kuta.

Babafemi said intelligence reports had indicated that Gamboli is a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in Shiroro local government area.

The spokesman said NDLEA officers in Abia last Thursday raided a clandestine codeine syrup-manufacturing factory at Amapu Igbengwo village, Umuakpara, in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state.

During the operation, operatives recovered a total of 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,152.2 kilogrammes.

In Enugu State, operatives last Thursday arrested Ossai Emeka, 45, along Onitsha-Enugu Ezike Road with 7.2 kilogrammes skunk, while Enoje Agada, 40, was nabbed along Enugu-Ezike -Ette Road with 94.6 kilogrammes of same psychoactive substance.

A raid carried out by NDLEA operatives at a notorious drug joint known as “Beere the California” at Ido in Oyo State last Thursday led to the seizure of 3.4 kilogrammes skunk, 1.6 kilogrammes Colorado, a synthetic cannabis and 400 grammes of methamphetamine.

Babafemi said the owner of the drug joint identified as “Idowu the killer” is currently at large while a suspect Ajibade Faruk was nabbed at the joint.

Another operation at Idi Oro, Elekuro, Ibadan last Friday led to the arrest of Olusanya Abosede, 35, and the seizure of 238.4 kilogrammes skunk, while the duo of Bashiru Babalola, 43, and Ogunwale Ranti, 50, were arrested last Wednesday at Gbaji checkpoint, Seme Road Badagry, Lagos with 50,000 pills of tramadol 250mg,

NDLEA operatives in Ogun State arrested two suspects: Akinwale Makanjuola and Joseph Owolabi with 73 kilogrammes skunk at Iperu just as another suspect Wasiu Lateef was nabbed with 25 kilogrammes of same substance at Oke Agbede, Imeko area of the state last Tuesday.

In Ondo State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence last Monday raided a compound in Ogbese, Akure North Local Government Area, where they arrested a 55-year-old woman Veronica Obi and her 29-year-old son Bright Obi, and recovered 1,187 kilogrammes of skunk and its seeds from them.

A suspect Ohiomah Igbafe, 44, was arrested during a raid operation at Uroe community, Owan East local government area of Edo state, where 461 kilogrammes skunk and its seeds were recovered last Tuesday.

In Gombe State, a suspect Muhammed Sani (alias Sha-Mu-Sha), 50, was arrested with 40,000 capsules of tramadol at Tunfure area, Gombe, while two other suspects: Muhammad Abdullahi (a.k.a Sakalala), 52, and Muhammed Hamza (a.k.a Mamman), 32, were nabbed at Ashaka Jalingo, with 56 kilogrammes skunk last Monday.

Babafemi said no fewer than 907 pills of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline and bromazepam concealed in containers of local black soap, and designer wears, in six different consignments going to the US, Canada and Sweden were intercepted and seized by NDLEA operatives at two major courier companies in Lagos between Tuesday and Wednesday, last week.

At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Saturday intercepted a consignment of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23,579 kilogrammes during a joint examination of a container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.

He said in like manner, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and men of DOGI, Niger, Abia, Oyo, Enugu, Seme, Ogun, Ondo, Gombe, Apapa and Edo commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity.

He enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.