Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully dismantled two major drug cartels behind six different consignments of cocaine concealed in the walls of stainless cups, body cream, and hair gel containers.
According to an NDLEA statement issued on Sunday, the breakthrough followed a series of intelligence-led operations that lasted over three weeks across Lagos. The operations led to the arrest of five suspects, including the alleged ringleader of the syndicate, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode, who poses as a businessman and real estate developer.
The beginning of the end of the criminal network’s operations came on 16th September 2025, when NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Lagos International Airport intercepted 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.40 kilograms, concealed in the walls of cocoa butter body cream containers. A cargo agent was promptly arrested.
The Director of Media and Advocacy for the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said in the statement that further investigations revealed Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode as the mastermind of the shipment. After weeks of intelligence gathering, it was established that the drug baron had earlier reported a dispute at the Zone 2 headquarters of the Police in Lagos, after which the agency sought the cooperation of the police to place him in custody.
During his preliminary interview, Alhaji Hammed Ode admitted ownership of the consignment, which he claimed he bought for over N150 million. He said he is a businessman and estate developer who returned from the United Kingdom in 2024. He reportedly lived for over 27 years in several European countries, including Austria, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, before settling in the UK.
Similarly, five other attempts by another criminal syndicate to export cocaine consignments to the United Kingdom were also thwarted by operatives of the Lagos Airport Strategic Command of the NDLEA. The unraveling of the gang began on 26th September, following the seizure of 2.10kg of cocaine concealed in the walls of hair cream containers at the export shed of the Lagos airport.
The arrest of a cargo agent led to the apprehension of the consignor, Smith David Korede, a furniture maker, on 30th September at his residence at 3 Arowojobe Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, where another consignment of 1.40kg of cocaine meant for export to the UK was recovered.
On the same day, another consignment of 1.00kg of cocaine, similarly concealed and also destined for the UK, was intercepted at the export shed of the airport. The cargo agent arrested in connection with the 1.00kg cocaine identified Smith David Korede as the consignor, bringing to three the number of cocaine consignments linked to the suspect.
Two other cocaine-laden consignments bound for the UK were also intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Lagos airport on Thursday. Two suspects; Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa ; linked to the seizures were promptly arrested.
One of the consignments, the statement said, contained crayfish and 12 pieces of stainless cups used to conceal 1.00kg of cocaine, while the second consignment also contained crayfish and 36 containers of hair cream used to conceal 1.60kg of cocaine.
The attempt by another criminal gang to smuggle 6.3 kilograms of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, into Lagos concealed in bedsheets and hibiscus flowers from Thailand was equally foiled by NDLEA operatives attached to some courier companies. Meanwhile, a joint operation between NDLEA officers and Customs Service personnel at a checkpoint along the Danbatta-Daura road in Kano on Thursday led to the arrest of 38-year-old Sa’adu Ali and the seizure of 290,450 pills of Tramadol 250mg and Pregabalin capsules.
In Lagos, a notorious drug dealer, John Igbe, known as SammyBless and notorious for distributing illicit drugs in the Lekki and Ajah axis, was arrested on 30th September at Admiralty Road, Lekki. A total of 550 grams of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, packaged in retail plastic cups was recovered from him.
Babafemi added that three other suspects, Idris Lukman, Fuad Abdulsalam, and Mobolaji James, were arrested the same day in the Mushin area of the state. NDLEA officers seized 109kg of skunk, 20 bottles of codeine syrup, and 2kg of nitrous oxide from them. At the Trade Fair Complex, Alaba area of the state, 3,700 bottles of codeine syrup and 550,000 caplets of expired 225mg diclofenac were also recovered.
While a total of 27,700 pills of Tramadol 100mg/225mg were seized from a suspect, Salisu Abubakar, at Bode Saadu, Moro LGA, Kwara State, on 29th September, another suspect, Blessing Ovaka, was caught with 498.5kg of skunk at Kudandan, Chukun LGA, Kaduna, the same day. Similarly, Dahiru Salisu was arrested in possession of 34,180 capsules of Tramadol at Gwargwaje along the Kaduna-Zaria road on 2nd October.
In Ogun State, NDLEA operatives on 29th September raided Isheri, Obafemi Owode LGA, where a suspect, Abubakar Audu, was arrested with 112kg of skunk and 16 grams of Tramadol. Three other suspects, Chuimieze Shedrack, Sunday John, and Solomon Okopko were arrested by NDLEA officers on Thursday at the Owena/Ijesha forest reserve in Osun State, where they destroyed 14,000kg of skunk on 5.6 hectares of cannabis plantation and recovered 142kg of the same psychoactive substance.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives on 1st October intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle marked KUJ 47 NW, loaded with 22 bags of skunk weighing 244.5kg, at Igbanke, Orhionmwon LGA, and arrested a suspect, Ineh Excellent Obindi.
A total of 10,897.35kg of skunk was destroyed on four farms measuring 4.358 hectares at Ugbodo Forest, Ovia North East LGA, on Friday. Two suspects ;, Michael Ayang and Bernard New Year (a.k.a. Don), were arrested, and not less than 223.5kg of processed cannabis and seeds were recovered from the farms.
The statement added that operatives on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja highway intercepted a waybill parcel coming from Lagos to Abuja containing 3.272kg of Loud and a sachet of Colorado. A follow-up operation at Gwagwalada Park in Abuja led to the arrest of the owner, Tobi Odubote, while another suspect, Ismail Abdurrahim, was arrested in possession of 25.5kg of skunk along the Abaji-Abuja expressway on Thursday.
Reacting to the successful operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), warned that the agency would not relent until the threat posed by substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking is eliminated.
He said, ‘This is because every arrest, seizure and asset forfeited by the criminal syndicates signifies innocent lives saved and communities protected either here in Nigeria or in other jurisdictions.’