Authorities apprehend two elderly men for allegedly peddling prohibited substances to pupils

An unusual pair of elderly individuals, an 84-year-old and a 75-year-old, have been apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for their alleged involvement in selling illicit substances to teenage secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia.

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According to a statement released by NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja, the first suspect was taken into custody by NDLEA operatives on Friday following a tip-off about his illicit activities.

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The 84-year-old suspect was found to be operating a patent medicine store at 4 Club Road, Umuahia, where he would sell illicit substances to young students and others, and a search of his premises yielded 4.64kg of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.

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The second suspect, a 75-year-old pensioner, was caught by security guards at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, while attempting to supply illicit drugs to two teenage students, and was subsequently handed over to the police and then transferred to the NDLEA on June 18.

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A 15-year-old SS2 student confessed that the 84-year-old suspect would supply him with drugs, which he would then consume and sell to his fellow students, according to a statement made by one of the teenagers involved.

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The two elderly suspects are set to face trial, while the students involved have been placed in counselling and rehabilitation, as announced by Mr Femi Babafemi.

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In a separate development, NDLEA operatives have seized a shipment of ADB Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a dangerous new psychoactive substance (NPS), at a courier firm in Lagos, with the 9.5 kg consignment originating from China and concealed in a carton.

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A further seizure occurred on Tuesday, June 16, at a different logistics company in Lagos, where 300g of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, was discovered hidden in ladies' handbags, as reported by Mr Femi Babafemi.