Cocaine Hidden in Dried Fish Heads Uncovered as NDLEA Intercepts Multi-Drug Shipments
…80-Year-Old Among Suspects Arrested in Ekiti
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.
A large consignment of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish has been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), leading to the arrest of a key syndicate member involved in trafficking illicit drugs across international borders, particularly to India.
The breakthrough followed intelligence on the group’s transnational operations, prompting a coordinated sting by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command in the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday, March 19, 2026. During the operation, three jumbo-sized bags were recovered from a 36-year-old suspect, Akputa Dickson Ejike.
A search of the bags led to the discovery of 237 wraps of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish, popularly known as “Okporoko,” with a total weight of 5.80 kilograms. The consignment was reportedly destined for Delhi, India.
In a separate operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Wednesday, March 25, intercepted two consignments bound for the United Kingdom at a courier company. One shipment, originating from Cotonou, Benin Republic, contained 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in automobile filters. The second parcel comprised 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl.
In another major crackdown, operatives of the Agency’s Special Operations Unit on Thursday, March 26, raided the residence of a suspected drug kingpin, 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, at Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos. She was arrested alongside her sales associate, 31-year-old Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka. Recovered from the premises were 135 blocks of “Ghana Loud,” a strain of cannabis, weighing 76.30 kilograms. Jolayemi, popularly known as “Iya Ghana,” is alleged to operate a cross-border drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana under the cover of a legitimate fabric business.
On the same day, another suspect, Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, was arrested at Doyin bus stop in Surulere, Lagos, where 78 blocks of cannabis weighing 41 kilograms were seized.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives arrested an 80-year-old suspect, Oke Samuel, during a raid at Mosafuneto Camp along Erinmo Road, Efon-Alaaye, on Thursday, March 26. Recovered from him were 2.2 kilograms of skunk and 1.8 grams of methamphetamine. In a related operation in Ondo State, officers raided an uncompleted building in Ogbese, Akure North LGA, leading to the arrest of 37-year-old Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley and the seizure of 894.72 kilograms of skunk.
Further operations across the country yielded significant seizures. In Benue State, 116.7 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a suspect, Saater Nyam, during a raid in Pevi village, Guma LGA. In Edo State, operatives uncovered a warehouse in Ekpoma, Esan West LGA, resulting in the arrest of 25-year-old Felix Donald and the seizure of 576.5 kilograms of skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers intercepted a truck conveying 100 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 135 kilograms, concealed in bags of animal feed en route from Garbachede to Gombe State. Two suspects, Osama Mamuda, 21, and Auwal Umar, 22, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
Meanwhile, the Agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continued nationwide, with sensitisation programmes conducted in schools across Cross River, Adamawa, Oyo, Kano, and Lagos States.
Commending the officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised commands across the country for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.
