Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a notorious 60-year-old drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, ending his seven-year run from justice.
He was captured while attempting to distribute large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of Nigeria.
Okpara, who had been on the NDLEA’s wanted list since 2019, was apprehended at his hideout located at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri, in the Ojo area of Lagos State, on Sunday, 13th July 2025.
His arrest followed the earlier interception of his drug consignments that same morning.
At approximately 5:45 a.m., NDLEA operatives, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted a white Toyota Sienna vehicle at Ilasamaja along the Apapa-Oshodi expressway.
The driver, identified as 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi—a key courier for Okpara—was arrested while en route to Onitsha, Anambra State.
Following a thorough search of the vehicle using NDLEA’s sniffer dogs, officers recovered 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine, hidden within concealed compartments of the vehicle.
The intelligence breakthrough led to a swift follow-up operation at Okpara’s residence, where operatives seized an additional 1.8 kilograms of cocaine and 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The NDLEA said investigations are ongoing as the agency intensifies efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks nationwide.
