By Ugochukwu Alaribe
UMUAHIA -The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Abia State command, has convicted 95 suspects in 104 drug cases.
The agency said it filed 104 suits at the Federal High Court, Umuahia and recorded 95 convictions with 23 cases pending.
Commander of the NDLEA in Abia state, Chigbu Chilee, who disclosed this to journalists in preparation for the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, with the theme “World drug problem: persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses”, explained that the NDLEA in the state is aggressive in its sensitisation now that drug dealers have started penetrating secondary schools.
He noted that the agency nationwide has long recognized that old strategies cannot solve new drug-related problems and has adopted a more results-oriented approach.
The Commander added that the theme underscores the evolving and underwhelming drug landscape.
He said, “The theme acknowledges that while old battlegrounds remain new, synthetic threats, sophisticated traffic networks and digital illicit markets have emerged.
“The current rate of drug peddling demands that NDLEA counter the dealers with proactive technology driven by early innovative responses, as NDLEA has long recognized that old strategies cannot solve new problems.
“The Abia State command, with the continued support of the National headquarters and the Abia State government, has heavily modernized our operations and balanced our enforcement capabilities with aggressive social advocacy through our war against drugs initiative, which remains our primary vehicle for preventive actions.”
Speaking further on the strategy, he said that the agency from the headquarters divided the drug remand directorates into two because it knows it can’t win the war only by arrest.
“So, we now have Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation (CTR) and Prevention and Sensitisation (PS). So, it’s a balanced approach that’s helping us to reduce both the supply and the demand.
“Every week, we sensitize three to four schools in Abia State. It’s a programme of its own just to win this war. If we reduce the number of young people getting involved, we’ll definitely win the war.”
He further noted that every opportunity to commemorate the UN day against Drug Abuse is a vital occasion to evaluate the agency’s collective efforts against illicit drugs and provide definitive direction for the next 12 months.
Chilee also stated that in Abia State under the period under review, from June 26, 2025, to June 26, 2026, the State Command of the NDLEA recorded massive achievements in the area of arrest and seizure, prosecution and conviction, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation, prevention, sensitisation and intervention.
Speaking on arrests and seizures, the commander said that a total of 429 suspects, comprising 355 males and 74 females, were arrested during the period under review.
“Within the same period, seizures included cocaine, heroin, Cannabis sativa, methamphetamine (mkpuru mmili), tramadol, and other drugs with a total weight of two thousand and seventy-eight kilograms (2,078 kilograms).
“We’ve made some arrests that are worthy of note, like the one of the 11th of December, 2025. Based on intelligence received, we arrested an illegal production site for cough syrup with codeine in Umuokapara, Arungwa, with a total of 9,915 bottles of illegally manufactured bottles of codeine cough syrup weighing 1.15 tonnes.
“The Command currently has in its custody Mr Godwin Obiorah, a septuagenarian, and Pa Godwin Orji, an octogenarian, who were arrested in the case of dealing in illicit drugs.
“As for the other 75-year-old man, the septuagenarian Mr Godwin Obiorah, he was arrested on the 19th of June, 2026, by officers of the NDLEA based on intelligence in Umuahia with 4.6 kilograms of assorted psychotropic substances, which include Diazepam and Tramadol. He’s here with us, and soon we’ll prosecute him.
“As for the octogenarian, Pa Godfrey Orji, he is currently 84 years old. He was arrested on the 18th of June 2026 by the vigilante group that are in charge of St Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia.
“They arrested a student, a 15-year-old, Emmanuel Peters, an SS2 student, with cannabis sativa, distributing it in the school to his fellow students. When he was arrested, he pointed fingers at Pa Godfrey Orji as his supplier.
“They arrested Pa Orji with the student, took them to the police, and the police brought them to the NDLEA. That was how we got Pa Orji. Recall that the young man is a minor and he’s in school.
“We can’t stop him from his education. What we did on him was intervention with the parents; got to the school and planned a date with the school to often come and sensitize them because most of them are affected. He will be coming intermittently with his mother for counselling. Pa Orji is still in detention and awaiting prosecution.”
On prosecution and conviction, Chilee said that within the period under review, the command filed 104 fresh charges at the Federal High Court, Umuahia Division, and recorded 95 convictions, with 23 pending criminal cases.
Explaining the reason behind the successful conviction, Chilee said, “We’ve left reactive operations for proactive operations. We criminalize the dealers, not the users. Before we get you and take you to court, we must have gathered all necessary information to nail the suspect, not just to make unnecessary arrests. When we arrest them with these available pieces of evidence, it’s very difficult for anybody to escape.”
On counselling, treatment and rehabilitation, Chilee said that the NDLEA counselled a total of 166 clients, comprising 155 males and 11 females. He added that they have discharged 120 clients and currently have about 48 people in admission, including 44 males and 4 females.
He added that within the period under review, the NDLEA Abia State command has received several awards for our efforts towards fighting drugs, including a “commendation award in rehabilitation, counselling and treatment”, while on an individual level, the command’s PRO, Ikechukwu Akunne, got a “merit award in recognition of his outstanding dedication and hard work”.
Chilee said that despite all the challenges, the Governor Alex Otti administration has been of tremendous help to the command, especially in the area of logistics, as it has provided them with 2 Toyota Hiluxes, a Toyota Sienna and an IVM van and inspected their bad vehicles to help them out and put them in good shape.
He added that on the dream of building a befitting state operational headquarters,the Commander said, “The Governor has also approved and offered to us 8,393.55 square metres of land in Umuahia for the construction of our head office in Umuahia, the state capital. He has been of tremendous help, as he has boosted our morale and has contributed to the volume of arrests.”
