NDLEA Intercepts Large Cocaine Consignment Concealed In Heads Of Dry Stock Fish

A large consignment of cocaine concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish has been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), who also arrested a key member of the syndicate involved in shipping the illicit substance across the world, 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, 19th March 2026. In the course of the operation, three jumbo-sized 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 operation in Lagos, 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. 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 yet another major interdiction operation, 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 sales girl, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, 31. 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.

On the 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.

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. A total of 2.2kg of skunk and 1.8grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him, while 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, on the same day.

Not less than 116.7kg of skunk was recovered from a suspect, Saater Nyam, 35, during a raid operation at Pevi village, Guma LGA, Benue state, on Tuesday, 24th March. 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 of skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.

In Taraba state, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on Tuesday, 24th March, 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.

The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Community Secondary School, Itigidi, Abi LGA, 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.

While commending 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, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) 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.