LAGOS, Nigeria (Chatnewstv.com) — Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency said Sunday it has dismantled an international drug syndicate spanning five countries, arresting three suspected kingpins and seizing a consignment of cocaine valued at N5.3 billion.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said the breakthrough followed a two-week operation in Lagos, where agents intercepted 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in cartons of lace materials and local charms at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The shipment was headed for Sydney, Australia.
The agency said the network operated between Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
“This interception has saved Nigeria from a major embarrassment and prevented dangerous drugs from entering the international market.”
Officials identified the first suspect as Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, a freight agent arrested on Aug. 26 at the Lagos airport. Two other alleged leaders, Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi and Shola Adegoke, were picked up in follow-up raids in Ikeja and Lekki. NDLEA said Adegoke had previously served jail time in the U.K. for methamphetamine trafficking before being deported to Nigeria in 2024, while Ogunbiyi was once convicted of murder in Britain.
Investigators said the cartel was directed overseas by a Dubai-based Nigerian, Adebisi Ademola Omoyele, known as “Mr. Bee.”
In separate seizures, NDLEA said it intercepted a container at the Port Harcourt port carrying 160,200 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1 billion, hidden among cartons of ceramic sanitary wares. In Abuja, a dispatch rider was arrested with 3.1 kilograms of synthetic cannabis known as Colorado.
In Lagos, officers seized 653 kilograms of various strains of cannabis during raids, including from a Surulere home and in Ajegunle, where a couple was arrested with 24.4 kilograms of skunk. Other operations across Kogi, Edo, Kaduna, Anambra, Niger, and Taraba states led to multiple arrests and the destruction of 7.5 hectares of cannabis farms.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.) praised the operations, saying the crackdown reflected the agency’s “balanced approach” of enforcement and advocacy.
“I commend our officers across commands for their vigilance and sacrifice,” Marwa said.
“We must sustain the momentum in our fight against drug trafficking and abuse.”
The agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign also continued last week with sensitization programs in schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities nationwide.
