Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate that concealed cocaine in tins of palm kernel oil intended for export to the United Kingdom, resulting in the arrest of a suspected kingpin in Lagos.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the operation spanned three weeks and commenced on March 11, 2026. NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport intercepted 3.1 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in tins of palm kernel extract at the export shed.
Two suspects, Idris Amoo and Akinlami Adedoyin, were initially arrested in connection with the shipment. A subsequent sting operation on April 2 led to the arrest of the sender, Ezemuwo Joel, who was operating under a false identity.
Investigations following Joel’s arrest exposed the alleged leader of the syndicate, identified as King Arinze, 52, who was apprehended at his hideout in the Isolo area of Lagos.
NDLEA operatives later raided a warehouse linked to the suspect in Bucknor, Isolo, where they recovered 886 tins prepared for drug concealment, alongside industrial equipment including a sealing machine, tin openers, and paint sprays. Authorities also seized 52 grammes of cannabis. The suspect reportedly confessed to draining palm kernel oil from the tins to conceal cocaine.
In a separate operation in Borno State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 28-year-old woman, Aisha Adamu, alleged to be a supplier of illicit drugs to bandit groups operating across the North-East and parts of Chad. She was intercepted along the Gamboru Ngala road with 4.3 kilogrammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
Meanwhile, a cleric, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu of the Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach, Badagry, and his wife, Success Hodonu, were arrested at the Gbaji checkpoint in Lagos. NDLEA officers recovered 11 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in hidden compartments of their vehicle.
Their arrest followed the earlier apprehension of a suspected fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, who was intercepted at the same checkpoint with 24.5 kilogrammes of skunk.
In Adamawa State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck conveying 48,000 pills of tramadol along Namtari road in Yola South. The driver, Abdulaziz Korede, was arrested, while a follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, Idris Adamu.
Other operations across the country led to multiple arrests and seizures. In Osun State, a 60-year-old woman was arrested with 15 kilogrammes of skunk in Osogbo. In Ondo State, operatives recovered 351 kilogrammes of skunk from a forest in Akure.
In Benue State, a 66-year-old suspect was arrested with 28,600 capsules of tramadol in Aliade, while in Edo State, NDLEA operatives recovered 1,378 kilogrammes of skunk from a warehouse in Egbanke community.
Similarly, in Oyo State, a suspected drug dealer, Ayantola Omodunmomi, was arrested in Ibadan, where 45.6 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered. Authorities alleged that she used her 11-year-old daughter in the distribution of illicit drugs.
The agency also disclosed that its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign continues nationwide, with awareness programmes conducted in schools across Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Anambra, and Zamfara states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers across various commands for the arrests and seizures.
“These successful operations are a testament to the agency’s evolving intelligence capabilities and our unwavering commitment to choking the supply lines of drug cartels,” he said.
