NDLEA intercepts 237 wraps of cocaine, arrests kingpin
A large consignment of cocaine concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish has been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) who also arrested a key member of the syndicate involved in shipping the illicit substance across the world.
A statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, spokesman of the Agency, said the smashing of the drug syndicate followed intelligence on their trans-border criminal activities.
“This led to a well-coordinated sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command of the Agency at the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday 19th March 2026. In the course of the operation, three jumbo size bags were found in possession of the kingpin, 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike.
“A search of the bags led to the recovery of Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven (237) wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish locally known as Okporoko.
“The cocaine pellets have a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms. The consignment was intended for export to Delhi, India,” the statement added.
In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 25th March intercepted two illicit consignments heading to the United Kingdom at a courier company.
It said that in one of the shipments that originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine were found concealed in automobile filters while the second parcel contains 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.
In another interdiction operation on Thursday 26th March, raid was conducted on the house of a female head of a notorious drug syndicate, 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi at 13 Carter street, Yaba, Lagos.
This led to her arrest and her sales girl, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, 31, while no fewer than 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 76.30kg, were recovered from them.
“Omolade popularly known as Iya Ghana, trades in local fabric on the surface but beneath she runs a drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana.
“Same day, the SOU operatives also arrested Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos following credible intelligence. A total of 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg were seized from him.
“In Ekiti state, an 80-year-old grandpa, Oke Samuel, was on Thursday 26th March arrested by NDLEA operatives during a special raid operation at Mosafuneto camp, Erinmo road, Efon-Alaaye Ekiti. A total of 2.2kg skunk and 1.8grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him, while 894.72kg of same psychoactive substance was seized from another suspect, Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley, 37, when an uncompleted building was raided by NDLEA officers at Ogbese, in Akure North area of Ondo state same day.
“Not less than 116.7kg skunk was recovered from a suspect, Saater Nyam, 35, during a raid operation at Pevi village, Guma LGA, Benue state, on Tuesday 24th March, while in Edo state, NDLEA operatives on Monday 23rd March uncovered a warehouse in Ekpoma town, Esan West LGA, leading to the arrest of a suspect, Felix Donald, 25, and the seizure of 576.5kg skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.”
In Taraba state, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on Tuesday 24th March intercepted a truck marked DUT 457 ZB, conveying 100 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 135 kilograms concealed in bags of animal feed from Garbachede to Gombe state. Two suspects: Osama Mamuda, 21, and Auwal Umar, 22, were nabbed in connection with the seizure.
