Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a suspected international drug trafficking network, intercepting cocaine hidden in dry fish heads in Lagos and seizing consignments of fentanyl and methamphetamine bound for the United Kingdom.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the breakthrough followed weeks of intelligence-led surveillance targeting a transnational syndicate. The operation culminated in a coordinated sting by officers of the agency’s Strategic Command at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
During a raid in the Ojo area of Lagos, operatives arrested a 36-year-old suspect, Akputa Ejike, identified as a key member of the network. A search of his belongings led to the discovery of 237 wraps of cocaine, weighing 5.8 kilogrammes, ingeniously concealed inside the heads of imported dry stock fish, commonly known as “Okporoko.” The illicit consignment was reportedly destined for Delhi, India.
In a related operation, NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted two separate shipments bound for the United Kingdom through a courier service. One consignment, originating from Cotonou in the Republic of Benin, contained 1.9 kilogrammes of methamphetamine hidden in automobile filters. Another parcel was found to contain 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl, both classified as highly controlled substances.
The agency also recorded a significant breakthrough in the Yaba area of Lagos, where a suspected drug syndicate leader, Omolade Jolayemi, 46, popularly known as “Iya Ghana,” was arrested at her residence on Carter Street. She was apprehended alongside her sales assistant, Sarah Agbabiaka, 31. Officers recovered 135 blocks of “Ghana Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 76.3 kilogrammes. Investigations indicate that Jolayemi allegedly used a fabric business as a front while coordinating a cross-border cannabis distribution network linking Nigeria and Ghana.
On the same day, operatives of the NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit arrested another suspect, Anayo Ohabiro, 39, at Doyin bus stop in Surulere, Lagos, recovering 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41 kilogrammes.
The anti-narcotics crackdown extended to other parts of the country. In Ekiti State, an 80-year-old suspect, Oke Samuel, was arrested during a raid at Mosafuneto Camp along Erinmo Road in Efon-Alaaye, where 2.2 kilogrammes of skunk and 1.8 grammes of methamphetamine were recovered.
In neighbouring Ondo State, operatives raided an uncompleted building in Ogbese, Akure North Local Government Area, seizing 894.72 kilogrammes of skunk from a suspect identified as Enuwa Kingsley, 37.
Further operations in Benue, Edo and Taraba states also yielded significant seizures. In Benue, a raid in Pevi village, Guma Local Government Area, led to the arrest of a suspect and the recovery of 116.7 kilogrammes of skunk. In Edo, operatives uncovered a warehouse in Ekpoma, resulting in the seizure of 576.5 kilogrammes of skunk alongside 36 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup. In Taraba, NDLEA officers intercepted a truck transporting 135 kilogrammes of compressed skunk concealed in bags of animal feed, leading to the arrest of two suspects.
Meanwhile, the agency sustained its War Against Drug Abuse advocacy campaign nationwide, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools across Cross River, Adamawa, Oyo, Kano and Lagos states.
Commending the operatives, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Buba Marwa, praised commands in Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo and Taraba states for their vigilance and professionalism. He also lauded ongoing efforts to balance drug supply reduction with preventive education through sustained public awareness initiatives.
