RismadarVoice Reporters, March 30, 2026
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish, popularly known as “Okporoko,” and arrested a suspected drug kingpin linked to an international trafficking network.
The agency disclosed that the seizure followed intelligence on the syndicate’s trans-border operations, leading to a coordinated sting operation by its Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command in Ojo, Lagos, on March 19, 2026.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said a 36-year-old suspect, Akputa Ejike, was arrested with three jumbo bags containing 237 wraps of cocaine hidden inside dry fish heads, weighing a total of 5.80 kilograms. The illicit consignment was reportedly destined for export to Delhi, India.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives on March 25 intercepted two drug shipments bound for the United Kingdom at a Lagos courier company. One consignment from Cotonou, Benin Republic, contained 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters, while the second included 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.
The agency also raided the residence of a suspected drug syndicate leader, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, popularly known as “Iya Ghana,” in Yaba, Lagos, on March 26. She was arrested alongside her salesgirl, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, with 135 blocks of “Ghana Loud” cannabis weighing 76.30 kilograms. Authorities said she allegedly operated a drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana under the guise of fabric trading.
On the same day, another suspect, Anayo Ohabiro, was arrested in Surulere, Lagos, with 78 blocks of cannabis weighing 41 kilograms.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives arrested an 80-year-old man, Oke Samuel, during a raid in Efon-Alaaye, recovering 2.2 kilograms of skunk and 1.8 grams of methamphetamine. In a separate operation in Ondo State, 894.72 kilograms of the substance were seized from an uncompleted building in Akure North.
Further operations in Benue led to the recovery of 116.7 kilograms of skunk from a suspect in Guma Local Government Area, while in Edo State, operatives uncovered a warehouse in Ekpoma, seizing 576.5 kilograms of skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup, and arresting a suspect.
In Taraba State, officers intercepted a truck conveying 135 kilograms of compressed cannabis concealed in animal feed, arresting two suspects in connection with the seizure.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the operatives involved for their efforts, noting that the agency remains committed to disrupting drug trafficking networks through intelligence-led operations.
The latest seizures highlight evolving tactics by drug syndicates, including the concealment of illicit substances in food items, as the NDLEA intensifies its crackdown on trafficking routes targeting Europe and Asia.
