Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated drug trafficking network that concealed cocaine inside tins of palm kernel oil intended for export to the United Kingdom. The breakthrough operation, which spanned several weeks, culminated in the arrest of a suspected kingpin in Lagos, alongside multiple accomplices.
According to a statement issued by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the operation began on March 11, 2026, when NDLEA officers stationed at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja intercepted a consignment containing 3.1 kilogrammes of cocaine. The illicit substance had been carefully hidden inside tins of palm kernel extract, suggesting a deliberate attempt to evade detection.
Following the discovery, two suspects—Idris Amoo and Akinlami Adedoyin—were arrested in connection with the shipment. Their arrest set the stage for further investigations aimed at unravelling the network behind the smuggling operation.
The NDLEA subsequently launched a follow-up sting operation, which led to the arrest of the alleged sender of the consignment, identified as Ezemuwo Joel. Authorities revealed that Joel had been operating under a false identity, a tactic often used by members of organised criminal syndicates to avoid detection.
Interrogation of Joel provided crucial intelligence that exposed the alleged leader of the network, a 52-year-old man identified as King Arinze. He was later tracked down and apprehended at his hideout in the Isolo area of Lagos.
Further investigation led NDLEA operatives to raid a warehouse linked to the suspect in Bucknor, Isolo. During the operation, officers recovered 886 tins that had been prepared for concealing narcotics. The warehouse was also equipped with industrial tools, including a sealing machine, tin openers, and paint sprays—equipment believed to have been used to modify the containers for drug smuggling. Additionally, 52 grammes of cannabis were recovered at the site.
Authorities disclosed that the suspect confessed to draining the original palm kernel oil from the tins before inserting cocaine and resealing them, thereby disguising the illegal cargo as legitimate export goods.
In a separate development in Borno State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 28-year-old woman, Aisha Adamu, who is alleged to have been supplying illicit drugs to bandit groups operating in parts of the North-East and neighbouring Chad. She was intercepted along the Gamboru Ngala road with 4.3 kilogrammes of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, a pastor of the Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach, Badagry—identified as Pastor Afolabi Hodonu—and his wife, Success Hodonu, were apprehended at the Gbaji checkpoint. NDLEA officers discovered 11 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in hidden compartments within their vehicle.
Their arrest followed the earlier interception of a suspected fake security operative, Sunday Samuel, at the same checkpoint. Samuel was found in possession of 24.5 kilogrammes of skunk, further highlighting the scale of drug trafficking activities along that corridor.
In Adamawa State, NDLEA operatives also intercepted a truck along Namtari road in Yola South carrying 48,000 pills of tramadol, a controlled pharmaceutical substance often abused for its psychoactive effects. The driver, Abdulaziz Korede, was arrested on the spot, while a subsequent operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, identified as Idris Adamu.
Across the country, the agency reported a series of additional seizures and arrests. In Osun State, a 60-year-old woman was apprehended in Osogbo with 15 kilogrammes of skunk. In Ondo State, operatives recovered a massive 351 kilogrammes of the same substance from a forest in Akure.
Similarly, in Benue State, a 66-year-old suspect was arrested in Aliade with 28,600 capsules of tramadol, while in Edo State, NDLEA officers uncovered 1,378 kilogrammes of skunk stored in a warehouse in the Egbanke community.
In Oyo State, a suspected drug dealer, Ayantola Omodunmomi, was arrested in Ibadan with 45.6 kilogrammes of skunk. Investigations revealed that she allegedly used her 11-year-old daughter to distribute the illicit substances, raising serious concerns about the exploitation of minors in drug trafficking activities.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA said it has continued to intensify its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign across the country. The initiative focuses on sensitisation and public awareness, with recent programmes conducted in schools across Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Anambra, and Zamfara states.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Buba Marwa, commended officers and personnel involved in the various operations, describing their efforts as a testament to the agency’s growing intelligence and operational capacity.
“These successful operations demonstrate our evolving intelligence capabilities and our unwavering commitment to dismantling drug networks and cutting off supply chains,” he said.
The NDLEA reiterated its resolve to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse, emphasizing that it will continue to deploy advanced strategies and inter-agency collaboration to combat the menace nationwide.
