- 60-Year-Old ‘Drug Lord’ Arrested With Cocaine, Meth In Lagos.
- He was found with 11.6kg of cocaine and methamphetamine in Lagos.
- Arrest followed the interception of his drug courier along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.
By Grateful Ogunjebe
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious drug baron, Okpara Paul Chigozie, aged 60, after evading law enforcement for seven years.
Okpara, who had been on the NDLEA watchlist since 2019, was caught in his hideout in the Isheri area of Lagos on Sunday, 13 July 2025. His arrest came after one of his couriers, Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, 51, was intercepted earlier that morning along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest in a statement, describing it as a significant breakthrough in the agency’s fight against drug trafficking.
According to Babafemi, Achebe was arrested at about 5:45 a.m. while travelling in a white Toyota Sienna en route to Onitsha, Anambra State. A team of NDLEA officers had acted on credible intelligence and conducted a search of the vehicle, with the assistance of sniffer dogs.
“The dogs uncovered 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine concealed in body compartments of the vehicle,” Babafemi revealed.
Following the courier’s arrest, NDLEA operatives swiftly moved to Okpara’s hideout located at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri, in Lagos. During the follow-up operation, an additional 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine were recovered from the premises.
The total seizure from the operation amounted to 11.6 kilograms of illicit drugs, including both cocaine and methamphetamine.
“This arrest ends seven years of cat-and-mouse between NDLEA and one of the country’s most elusive drug traffickers,” Babafemi stated, adding that investigations are ongoing to identify other members of Okpara’s drug network.
The NDLEA has reiterated its commitment to rooting out drug barons and curbing the distribution of illegal substances across the country.
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