NDLEA Smashes Global Drug Ring: Cocaine Found in Fish Heads; 80-Year-Old Grandpa Arrested
NDLEA Smashes Global Drug Ring: Cocaine Found in Fish Heads; 80-Year-Old Grandpa Arrested
In a series of high-stakes operations spanning the past week, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled several cross-border drug syndicates, uncovering ingenious—and bizarre—methods used to smuggle illicit substances.
From cocaine hidden inside dried fish to 80-year-old couriers, the agency’s latest crackdown highlights the evolving tactics of Nigeria’s drug trafficking networks.
The “Okporoko” Connection
The week’s most striking discovery occurred at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command. Following a sting operation on Thursday, March 19, operatives intercepted 5.80 kilograms of cocaine destined for Delhi, India.
The drugs weren’t in suitcases or false-bottomed crates; instead, they were meticulously concealed within the heads of imported dry stock fish, popularly known as “Okporoko.” Agents arrested 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike in the Ojo area of Lagos after discovering 237 wraps of the drug buried inside three jumbo-sized bags of fish.
Officials identified Ejike as a key member of a syndicate responsible for global distribution.
High-Tech Smuggling and “Iya Ghana”
The ingenuity didn’t stop at seafood. On March 25, the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two UK-bound shipments at a Lagos courier firm:
* Method: 1.9kg of methamphetamine was found welded inside automobile filters.
* Pharmaceuticals: A second parcel contained 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid.
In Yaba, a separate raid targeted 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, known as “Iya Ghana.” While she posed as a local fabric merchant, authorities allege she sat atop a major cannabis distribution network.
Operatives seized 76.30kg of “Ghana Loud” (a high-strain cannabis) from her Carter Street residence, arresting both her and her 31-year-old sales assistant.
Nationwide Sweep: From Grandpas to Animal Feed
The NDLEA’s “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) spread across several states, yielding significant arrests:
Read Also: NDLEA intercepts large cocaine consignment concealed in heads of…
| Location | Suspect(s) | Seizure | Details |
| Ekiti State | Oke Samuel (80) | 2.2kg Skunk / Meth | Octogenarian arrested in Efon-Alaaye raid. |
| Ondo State | Enuwa K. Kingsley (37) | 894.72kg Skunk | Found in an uncompleted building in Akure North. |
| Edo State | Felix Donald (25) | 576.5kg Skunk / Codeine | Warehouse uncovered in Ekpoma town. |
| Taraba State | O. Mamuda & A. Umar | 135kg Skunk | Hidden in animal feed bags on a truck. |
| Benue State | Saater Nyam (35) | 116.7kg Skunk | Recovered during a raid in Pevi village. |
Balanced Approach
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman of the NDLEA, praised the officers for their vigilance. He noted that while the agency is aggressively pursuing “supply reduction” through these arrests, it is equally focused on “demand reduction” via sensitization lectures held this week at schools in Cross River, Adamawa, Kano, and Lagos.
“Our officers continue to maintain a fair balance between enforcement and advocacy,” Marwa stated, following the successful week of interdictions.
