The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a major cocaine shipment concealed inside imported dry stockfish heads and dismantled several drug trafficking operations across Nigeria, including the arrest of an 80-year-old suspect found with methamphetamine.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the breakthrough followed credible intelligence on transnational trafficking activities, prompting a coordinated operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command in the Ojo area of Lagos on March 19.
According to the agency, officers recovered 237 wraps of cocaine weighing 5.80 kilograms, carefully concealed inside dry stockfish heads locally known as okporoko, packed in three jumbo bags allegedly belonging to 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike.
Investigators said the illicit consignment was intended for shipment to Delhi, highlighting the international scope of the trafficking network.
Drug Consignments Bound for UK Also Intercepted
In a separate operation carried out on March 25, NDLEA operatives stationed at a Lagos courier facility intercepted two additional illicit consignments destined for the United Kingdom.
One package contained 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside automobile filters, while another contained 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl, substances classified among highly controlled narcotics.
Suspected Drug Baroness Arrested in Lagos
The agency also arrested 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, widely known as “Iya Ghana,” during a raid at her residence in Yaba.
During the operation, officers recovered 135 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 76.30 kilograms, a potent strain of cannabis often linked to organised trafficking networks.
In another Lagos raid, Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, was arrested in Surulere with 78 blocks of the same substance weighing 41 kilograms.
80-Year-Old Arrested in Ekiti
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives arrested 80-year-old Oke Samuel during a special raid along Erinmo Road in Efon-Alaaye.
The suspect was found in possession of 2.2 kilograms of skunk and methamphetamine, an arrest that stood out because of his age and the scale of the seizure.
Massive Seizure in Ondo, Further Arrests Nationwide
In Ondo State, operatives uncovered 894.72 kilograms of skunk stored inside an uncompleted building, leading to the arrest of another suspect.
Additional operations in Benue State, Edo State, and Taraba State resulted in multiple seizures of skunk, codeine-based syrup, and cannabis concealed in animal feed, with several suspects taken into custody.
NDLEA Expands Drug Awareness Campaign
Beyond enforcement, the agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continues nationwide through sensitisation programmes in schools across Cross River State, Adamawa State, Oyo State, Kano State, and Lagos State.
Babafemi commended officers across affected commands for the successful operations, reaffirming NDLEA’s commitment to combining aggressive drug supply reduction with public education and demand reduction efforts.
The latest operations underscore the agency’s intensified nationwide offensive against drug trafficking and abuse, as authorities continue targeting both local and international narcotics networks.
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