A former councillor in Ibeju-Lekki has been arrested by Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency after officers allegedly discovered a large quantity of cannabis at his residence.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said the suspect, 45-year-old Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, was detained on 2 March 2026 at his home in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki, in Lagos.
According to the agency on Sunday, officers acting on intelligence searched the property and recovered about 40 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, from one of the rooms.
The NDLEA said Mr Olalekan admitted ownership of both the drugs and the house where they were found. He reportedly told investigators that he had previously served two terms as councillor representing the Orimedu community in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Council and is currently working as a legislative aide.
The agency also reported a series of other drug-related arrests across Nigeria during the same period.
In the Federal Capital Territory, officers intercepted a 32-year-old businessman, Emeka Hyginus Okwor, on 3 March while travelling from Obollo-Afor in Enugu State to Zuba.
Officials said a search of his luggage uncovered 1,000 tablets of tapentadol (250mg) hidden inside baby diapers. The suspect allegedly told investigators the drugs were destined for Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, where he runs a provision store.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Kabba–Obajana highway in Kogi State intercepted a package containing 1.55kg of “Colorado”, a synthetic cannabis strain. The drugs were concealed inside a standing fan carton belonging to a 36-year-old Cameroonian national, Mey Ali Muhamat, who was travelling in a commercial bus from Lagos to Cameroon.
In Niger State, officers said they intercepted a commercial bus travelling from Ibadan carrying a sack containing 500 improvised explosive device (IED) components. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of a 21-year-old suspect, Osama Abdullahi, in Pelegi, Mashegu Local Government Area.
In Yola, NDLEA officials said they discovered 122,000 tablets of tramadol and 700 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the false bottom of a truck transporting cartons of local drinks.
Other arrests were reported in several states, including Kano State, where a 20-year-old suspect was detained with more than 11,000 tramadol pills, and in Ogun State where two men were arrested with 46kg of cannabis during a raid in Ogere.
In Delta State, two suspects were apprehended in Ogwashi-Uku with cannabis, codeine-based cough syrup and thousands of tramadol tablets.
Meanwhile, operations in Edo State led to the destruction of more than 1,900kg of cannabis on farms in Egbisi forest, while another suspect was arrested in Ikhin town with over 176kg of the drug.
The NDLEA said it also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) awareness campaign across schools and communities nationwide during the past week.
Speaking after the operations, the agency’s chairman, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised officers in several state commands for the arrests and seizures.
He urged personnel across the country to sustain the agency’s “balanced approach” combining enforcement actions with drug abuse prevention and public education.
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