Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 37-year-old businessman, Ani Onyebuchi Romans, after discovering a large quantity of tramadol concealed inside mannequins he was transporting under the guise of running a clothing business.
Romans was intercepted on Friday, January 9, along Oron–Ibaka Road in Oron Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State while travelling with full-body mannequins allegedly destined for Cameroon.
Confirming the arrest in a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said a thorough search revealed that the mannequins were stuffed with tramadol pills weighing a total of 5.3 kilograms.
“In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Oron–Ibaka Road in Oron LGA on Friday, January 9, intercepted a 37-year-old businessman, Ani Onyebuchi Romans, while travelling with full-body mannequins for his clothing business in Cameroon. A search of the mannequins revealed that they were stuffed with tramadol pills weighing 5.3 kilograms,” Babafemi stated.
According to the agency, the suspect claimed to be based in Cameroon and was returning after spending the Christmas and New Year holidays in Nigeria. Further investigation revealed that he allegedly purchased the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra State, with plans to sell them across the border.
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“The suspect claims he resides in Cameroon and was reportedly returning to his base after the Christmas and New Year holidays when he was apprehended. It was revealed that he bought the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra State, and was trafficking them to Cameroon to sell, using two mannequins to conceal the opioids,” the statement added.
Babafemi noted that the arrest was part of a broader series of interdiction operations conducted nationwide within the past week.
In a separate development, NDLEA operatives rearrested an 80-year-old ex-convict, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, on Saturday, January 10, at Mmanta-Abak Village in Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, with 5.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
Nkanta had previously been convicted in 2022 and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for drug trafficking.
“Barely three years after he was arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced to two years imprisonment for dealing in illicit drugs, an 80-year-old grandpa, Jeremiah Nkanta, has again been nabbed by operatives of the NDLEA for returning to the criminal trade,” the statement said.
“Notorious for illicit drug business, Nkanta was first arrested by NDLEA on December 14, 2022, prosecuted, and sentenced to two years in jail by a Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Not ready to let go of the old habit, Nkanta returned to the illicit drug trade, and following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, January 10, 2025, tracked the octogenarian ex-convict to his Mmanta-Abak Village, Abak LGA, where he was arrested with 5.7 kilograms of skunk in his residence,” it added.
In Oyo State, NDLEA officers also arrested multiple suspects in Ibadan and recovered various illicit drugs, including Colorado, Ghana Loud, Canadian Loud, Scottish Loud, and skunk.
Among those arrested was 45-year-old Remi Bamidele, popularly known as “Aluko the Mafia,” from whom 10.696 kilograms of assorted cannabis strains and two vehicles were recovered.
“At Adegbayi area of Ibadan, NDLEA officers on Friday, January 9, arrested Adeola Toheeb, 27, with various quantities of Colorado, Ghana Loud, and skunk, while Habeeb Ali, 29, was nabbed at Ring Road, Ibadan, with 1.264 kg of Colorado, Scottish Loud, and skunk. Not less than One Million Three Hundred and Seven Thousand One Hundred Naira (₦1,307,100) in cash was also recovered from him at the point of arrest on Saturday, January 10,” the statement added.
Further arrests and seizures were also recorded in Edo, Niger, Taraba, and Adamawa states, where NDLEA operatives recovered quantities of cannabis and tramadol from different suspects as part of ongoing nationwide drug enforcement efforts.