Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized 5.80 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported stockfish.
In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, said the seizure followed intelligence on a trans-border drug trafficking network that particularly ships illicit substances to India.
“The smashing of the drug syndicate followed intelligence on their trans-border criminal activities,” the statement reads.
“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 19th 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 Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven (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.”
In another crackdown in Lagos, the director said operatives intercepted consignments bound for the UK.
“NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Wednesday 25th March intercepted two illicit consignments heading to the United Kingdom at a courier company,” he added.
“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.”
In the Yaba area of Lagos, Babafemi said operatives raided the residence of a suspected drug syndicate leader.
“Operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the Agency on Thursday 26th March raided the house of a female head of a notorious drug syndicate, 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, at 13 Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos, where they arrested her and her salesgirl, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, 31,” he said.
“No fewer than 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 76.30kg, were 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.
“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.”
Babafemi said further operations across states led to multiple arrests and seizures.
“In Ekiti state, an 80-year-old grandpa, Oke Samuel, was on Thursday 26th March arrested by NDLEA operatives during a special raid operation at Mosafuneto camp, Erinmo road, Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti,” he said.
“A total of 2.2kg skunk and 1.8 grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him, while 894.72kg of 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.
“Not less than 116.7kg skunk was recovered from a suspect, Saater Nyam, 35, during a raid operation at Pevi village, Guma LGA, Benue state, on Tuesday 24th March, while in Edo state, NDLEA operatives on Monday 23rd March uncovered a warehouse in Ekpoma town, Esan West LGA, leading to the arrest of a suspect, Felix Donald, 25, and the seizure of 576.5kg skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
