Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency has dismantled two major drug cartels behind multiple cocaine shipments concealed in everyday products, arresting five suspects including the alleged mastermind, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said on Sunday.
The operations, which spanned over three weeks across Lagos, targeted syndicates attempting to smuggle cocaine to the United Kingdom, NDLEA said in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, its Director of Media and Advocacy.
According to the statement, the “arrowhead of the syndicate,” identified as Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode, was arrested after a series of seizures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. NDLEA said 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.4 kilograms were discovered concealed inside cocoa butter body cream containers on September 16.
“Further investigations revealed Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode as the mastermind of the shipment,” the statement said. “After weeks of intelligence, it was established that the drug baron had reported a dispute at the Zone 2 headquarters of the Police in Lagos, after which the Agency sought the cooperation of the police to get the suspect into custody.”
During questioning, Ode allegedly admitted ownership of the consignment, saying he bought it for over ₦150 million. NDLEA said he claimed to be a businessman and estate developer who had lived in Europe for 27 years before returning to Nigeria in 2024.
The agency said five other attempts by another criminal network to export cocaine to the UK were also foiled. On September 26, NDLEA operatives intercepted 2.1 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside hair cream containers at Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of Smith David Korede, a furniture maker in Oshodi. Subsequent raids recovered additional quantities totaling 3.4 kilograms, also concealed in cosmetic containers.
In separate incidents, NDLEA agents seized two more UK-bound consignments on October 2, arresting Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa. The drugs, concealed in stainless cups and hair cream containers mixed with crayfish, weighed a combined 2.6 kilograms.
The NDLEA also thwarted an attempt to smuggle 6.3 kilograms of “Loud,” a potent cannabis strain, from Thailand into Lagos, concealed in bedsheets and hibiscus flowers.
In other operations, the agency said a joint NDLEA-Customs checkpoint along the Danbatta-Daura road in Kano led to the arrest of Sa’adu Ali, 38, and the seizure of over 290,000 pills of tramadol and pregabalin.
Across the country, multiple raids yielded further arrests and seizures, including 498.5 kilograms of skunk in Kaduna, 244.5 kilograms in Edo, and over 14,000 kilograms of cannabis plants destroyed in Osun.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the operations were part of the agency’s renewed offensive against narcotics trafficking.
“We’ll continue to target and dismantle every identified drug cartel at every level of their operations — from the mules to the dealers and up to their leadership,” Marwa said. “These successful operations should serve as a warning that NDLEA will not relent until the threat posed by the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking is eliminated.”
He added that every arrest and seizure “signifies innocent lives saved and communities protected either here in Nigeria or in other jurisdictions.”