80-Year-Old Ex-Convict Re-Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Akwa Ibom

A An 80-year-old ex-convict, Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly returning to illicit drug trafficking barely three years after serving a jail term for the same offence.

Nkanta, a resident of Mmanta–Abak village in Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, was first arrested by the NDLEA on December 14, 2022, for dealing in illicit drugs.

He was subsequently prosecuted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a Federal High Court sitting in Uyo.

According to the NDLEA, the octogenarian reportedly returned to the illegal drug trade after his release from prison. Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives tracked him to his residence on Saturday, January 10, 2025, where he was arrested.

During the operation, officers recovered 5.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from his house.

“Barely three years after he was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years imprisonment for dealing in illicit drugs, an 80-year-old grandpa Jeremiah Isaiah Nkanta has again been nabbed by operatives of the NDLEA for returning to the criminal trade,” the agency said.

The NDLEA described Nkanta as notorious for involvement in the illicit drug business and reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining efforts to clamp down on drug trafficking across the country, regardless of the age or status of those involved.