Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a major drug trafficking syndicate, intercepting cocaine consignments concealed in tins of palm kernel extract bound for the United Kingdom and arresting the cartel’s kingpin in Lagos.
The intelligence-led operation, which lasted three weeks, led to the unravelling of the group’s network and the arrest of key members across different layers of the syndicate.
The breakthrough came on March 11, 2026, when NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine at the export shed.
The illicit drug was carefully hidden inside tins of palm kernel extract prepared for shipment to the UK.
Two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, who were handling the consignment, were arrested on the spot.
A follow-up sting operation on April 2 led to the arrest of the sender, Ezemuwo Joel, who allegedly operated under a false identity, Ajayi.
Investigations subsequently exposed the kingpin, identified as 52-year-old Arinze, who was tracked to a hideout in the Isolo area of Lagos.
NDLEA operatives later raided his warehouse located at 11, Ola Ifa Street, Bucknor, Isolo, where 886 tins of palm kernel extract prepared for drug concealment were recovered.
Other items found at the facility include industrial tools such as a sealing machine, tin openers, paint sprays, as well as 52 grams of cannabis and a pack of hand gloves.
Arinze reportedly confessed to draining the oil from the tins before concealing cocaine in them.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Borno State arrested a 28-year-old woman, Aisha Adamu, along the Gamboru Ngala road on April 1.
She was allegedly supplying drugs to bandit groups operating between the North East and neighbouring Chad and was found in possession of 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
Similarly, a cleric, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu of the Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach, Badagry, and his wife, Success, were arrested on April 2 at Gbaji checkpoint.
The couple was apprehended in a Honda Pilot SUV conveying 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments.
Their arrest followed the earlier apprehension of a suspected fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, who was caught at the same checkpoint on March 30 with 24.5 kilograms of skunk en route from Seme border to Lagos.
In Adamawa State, NDLEA officers intercepted a trailer along Namtari road, Yola South, on March 30, recovering 48,000 pills of tramadol.
The driver, Abdulaziz Ismail 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, Idiatu Oladejo, was arrested in Osogbo with 15 kilograms of skunk.
Operatives also raided Itaogbolu forest in Akure, Ondo State, recovering 351 kilograms of skunk and seeds.
In Benue State, 28,600 capsules of tramadol were seized from a 66-year-old suspect, Aminu Usman Gembu, in Aliade.
A raid in Edo State led to the arrest of Roland Owie and the recovery of 1,378 kilograms of skunk from a warehouse in Egbanke community, Orhionmwon Local Government Area.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, a suspected drug dealer, Ayantola Omodunmomi, popularly known as “Iya Elle,” was arrested with 45.6 kilograms of skunk.
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NDLEA said the suspect allegedly used her 11-year-old daughter to distribute illicit drugs to customers.
Meanwhile, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools across Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Anambra and Zamfara states.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers of the various commands for the arrests and seizures.
He said the successes underscored the agency’s growing intelligence capacity and resolve to cut off drug supply chains.
“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.
“Whether they hide behind legitimate businesses, religious titles, or complex concealment methods, we will find them,” Marwa said.
