NDLEA nabs 80-year-old veteran drug dealer in major Kaduna bust

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched a wave of high-impact drug enforcement operations across multiple states, nabbing both seasoned and unsuspected players in the narcotics trade — including an 80-year-old ex-convict.

In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives arrested 80-year-old Ayuba Ashiru on May 14, 2025, at Barazana Street in the Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari Local Government Area.

Acting on actionable intelligence, officers uncovered 2.3 kilograms of skunk — a potent variant of cannabis — tightly wrapped in nylon and paper, ready for retail distribution.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest in a statement released Sunday, revealing Ashiru’s longstanding history in the illicit trade.

“He claimed to have been in the illicit drug trade for the past 46 years,”;; the statement reads.

The agency noted that Ashiru had previously been arrested, tried, and convicted for drug-related offences, serving a 10-year prison sentence from 2014 to 2024.