Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), last Thursday, arrested an 80-year-old grandpa, Oke Samuel, during a special raid operation in Ekiti State and intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs.
A large cocaine consignment was intercepted, concealed in heads of dry stock fish and fentanyl, methamphetamine, morphine sulphate in UK-bound automobile parts shipments were recovered in other operations in the past week.
The 80-year-old grandpa, Oke Samuel, was arrested by NDLEA operatives during a special raid operation at Mosafuneto Camp, Erinmo Road, Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State.
As contained in a press release by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, a total of 2.2kg skunk and 1.8grams of methamphetamine were recovered from the 80-year-old grandpa.
894.72kg of the 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.
Meanwhile, a large consignment of cocaine concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish was intercepted by NDLEA operatives who also arrested a key member of the syndicate involved in global shipping the illicit substance, especially to India.
“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,19 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 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,” it was stated.
NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), im another operation in Lagos, last Wednesday, intercepted at a courier company two illicit consignments heading to the United Kingdom.
“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,” it was added.
In another major interdiction operation, operatives of a Special Operations Unit (SOU) of NDLEA, on Thursday, raided the house of a female head of a notorious drug syndicate, 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi.
She was arrested in her house at 13 Carter street, Yaba, Lagos with her sales girl, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka (31).
No fewer than 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 76.30kg, were reportedly 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,” it was disclosed.
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, it was stated.
Not less than 116.7kg skunk was recovered from a suspect, Saater Nyam (35), during a raid operation at Pevi Village, Guma Local Governmeny Area, Benue State, last Tuesday.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives, last Monday, uncovered a warehouse in Ekpoma Town, Esan West Local Government Area.
The operation, it was stated, led 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, last Tuesday, 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,” it was added in the release.
NDLEA commands continued with the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities across the country in the past week.
Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Community Secondary School, Itigidi, Abi Local Government Area, Cross River;
Government Girls Secondary School, Yola, Adamawa; Islamic High School, Igbeti, Oyo State; Gidan Sarki Primary School, Kano, and Royal Legends Academy, Ibeshe, Ikorodu, Lagos State, among others.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has commended the officers and men of MMIA, SOU, DOGI, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo and Taraba commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.
He also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
