NDLEA smashes 2 drug cartels, recovers multi-billion-naira cocaine, fentanyl consignments

• Arrests couple, 4 others; intercepts Loud shipment concealed in imported vehicle compartments

A cocaine trafficking cartel headed by a couple: Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda has been smashed in Lagos and Ogun states by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, with multi-billion-naira worth of the illicit drug recovered in two major operations following the arrest of the kingpin and his queen in one of the intelligence-led raids.

The duo were arrested on Saturday 25th May 2024 by operatives of a special operation unit in NDLEA with the support of Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States at Ibiye, along Lagos-Badagry expressway while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana.

At the point of their arrest, 42 blocks of the Class A drug weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on them. A swift follow up operation in their residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun state, led to the recovery of additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the total weight of the cocaine seized from the couple to 57.5 kilograms.

In another raid by the special operation unit, no fewer than 1,100 ampoules of lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl, weighing 6.48kg were recovered from a member of a drug trafficking syndicate, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island.

No less than 790 ampoules of the dangerous opioid weighing 5.273kg were equally seized from another member of the fentanyl syndicate, 48-year-old Chieze Ogechukwu Benjamin who was also arrested at Idumota market. Fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid, which is 100 times more potent than heroin is currently responsible for over 70% overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US.

Two other persons: Olayiwola Aremu Kazeem, 37, and Ogunfowora Taofik Ajibola, 35, were arrested on Lagos Island in a different raid by NDLEA officers with 432 grams of methamphetamine recovered from them.

At the Tincan port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 25th May intercepted 15 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 7.5kg concealed in the doors and body crevices of a Toyota Highlander SUV in a container marked MSMU 7294325. The container declared as containing three units of used vehicles including the Toyota Highlander originated from Toronto and shipped to Nigeria via Montreal, Canada.

A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of two suspects: Sunday Sodade and Oriyomi Adesina, who were to receive the vehicle and the drug consignment. A bribe of six million naira offered NDLEA officers by the sender of the container based in Canada through his agent has also been registered as exhibit for the prosecution of the case.

Reacting to the arrest of the drug kingpins and the seizure of the dangerous illicit drugs, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the special operation unit for their resilience in targeting and taking down drug cartels and barons. He equally praised the result-oriented collaboration between NDLEA and its local and international partners, urging all commands and formations of the Agency to remain unrelenting in their offensive action against the drug underworld.

Femi Babafemi

Director, Media and Advocacy

NDLEA Headquarters Abuja

Tuesday 27th May 2024