Nigeria anti-illicit drugs authority, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has said its men are currently working and partnering with the United States of America, USA Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA and the United Kingdom, UK National Crime Agency, NCC to unravel the cartel behind the importation of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine-mass-shipped and recovered from a container at the PTML Terminal of Tincan Island Port in Lagos State fortnight ago.

Details of the report and other news reports made available by the Public Relations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA during the week and previous week are presented verbatim below:

Wanted drug baron arrested as NDLEA recovers large drug shipment, forex in Lagos hideout… Seizes over 14,440kg skunk in Osun forest, Lagos, Edo, Kwara, Taraba, Nasarawa raids

A wanted drug baron who operates under the cover of a businessman and hotelier, Frank Chijioke Ibemesi, alias Chisco Bee, has been arrested by operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after weeks of intelligence and surveillance on his criminal activities.

The 42-year-old Ibemesi who is the MD/CEO of Franc C.J Ibemesi Nigeria Limited was arrested at his Daisy Garden Hotel, 66-68 Agbeke street, Ago palace way, Isolo Lagos in the early hours of Saturday 15th November 2025 after which he was taken to his warehouse at 7 Pius Ezeobi street off Ago place way, Isolo where 42 jumbo bags and four cartoons of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 1,762.8 kilograms were recovered. Also seized from him at the point of his arrest include: $11,600 US dollars; ⁠2,000 British Pounds; 2,200 Euros and 50 Canadian dollars, all in cash.

Attempt by a drug syndicate operating at Orita-Apeje, Araromi-Okeodo forest reserve, Ife South Local Government Area, Osun state to load and distribute across the country large quantities of processed skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 11,135 kilograms were thwarted on Tuesday 11th November by NDLEA operatives after days of surveillance in the forest. Two trucks being used to transport the illicit consignments: a Volvo truck marked WWR 29 XA and a Mercedes truck with registration number AWK 713 YZ were seized and seven suspects arrested. Those in custody in connection with the seizure are: Lucky Abiodun; Julius Amos; Victor Ngbikili; Sunday Oduegwu; Ibrahim Akanni; Eze Godstime; and Fred Ifeanyichukwu.

A total of 1,902.1 kilograms of skunk were recovered in parts of Edo state. While 184.1kg was recovered along a bush path at Oza/Igbanke road, Igbanke, in Orhionmwon Local Government Area on Thursday 13th November, 672kg was evacuated from Utese forest, Ovia North East Local Government Area on Friday 14th November, with 494kg recovered from a Mercedes Benz car marked DE311BEN along Benin-Akure road where a suspect Felix Edah, 45, was arrested same day, just as Lucky Abagha, 51, was nabbed in another Mercedes Benz car marked JJJ 56 JW conveying 552kg.

While four suspects: Micheal Okoh; Offor Agada; Raphael Nkemjika and Nwabueze Franklin were arrested with 68kg skunk and 3.150kg methamphetamine along Ijebu-Ode expressway in Ogun state, Danjuma Tukura, 50, was nabbed with 172kg skunk at Sunkani area of Ardo Kola Local Government Area, Taraba state on Friday 14th November and Wisdom Titus, 24, with 84kg of same substance at Takum area of the state.

In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives on Friday 14th November recovered 396,000 capsules of tramadol from a suspect Ahmed Isyaku Nda, 50, at Aliyu Mustapha International Airport Yola, while 785kg of skunk was evacuated from the warehouse of a drug dealer currently at large at Asob Maraba Karu, Nasarawa state.

Two suspects: Jamiu Kunle Kardoso and Oriyomi Waliu were on Friday 14th November arrested with 130 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 65.150kg in Surulere area of Lagos, just as Taofeek Moraina was nabbed same day with 282 blocks of Ghana Loud with a gross weight of 141kg at Otto, Oyingbo area of Lagos.

In Kwara state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 13th November intercepted a truck marked T- 0262KT along Ilorin – Jebba expressway conveying 197 blocks of skunk weighing 78.565kg and 155 cartons of rubber solutions. The truck driver Umar Yakubu was taken into custody. In another operation, a commercial bus with registration number KJA- 657CY was intercepted at Eiyenkonrin, Ilorin on Wednesday 12th November with 20 blocks of skunk concealed in a 50-litre jerry can recovered and the driver Ibrahim Bello arrested.

In like manner, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Day Secondary School, Birnin Ruwa Gusau, Zamfara; Holy Ghost Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Government Science Technical School, Ringim, Jigawa; City Girls Secondary School, Enugu; Randle Junior Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos; and Anglican Girls Grammar School, Obalende, Ijebu Ode, Ogun state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of the SOU, Osun, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Kwara Commands for the arrests, and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency. Signed, Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA on Sunday 16th November 2025.

NDLEA working with US-DEA, UK-NCA over 1,000kg cocaine recovered at Lagos port

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is working with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) to unravel the cartel behind the importation of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine recovered from a container at the PTML Terminal of Tincan Island Port in Lagos.

The PTML operators had noticed the consignment in an empty container last weekend and invited port stakeholders including NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies for joint examination. After field test by NDLEA confirmed the shipment to be cocaine, the consignment was formally transferred to NDLEA custody for further investigation on Tuesday 11th November 2025 following collaborative engagements between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired) and the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr Adewale Adeniyi.

As a result of the large quantity of the recovered Class A drug which is worth over $235 million dollars (Over N338 billion) in international market and the global dimension to the cocaine cartel, Marwa on Tuesday 11th November directed that the Agency’s leading international partners be involved in the investigation.

In a swift response to the Agency’s request, officers of the US-DEA and UK-NCA have already joined the ongoing investigation of the largest single seizure of cocaine at the Tincan Port Lagos. “The essence of collaborating with our international partners on this case is to ensure no stone is left unturned and every gap is sufficiently covered so that ultimately we can get all the masterminds of this huge consignment brought to book wherever they are located across the globe. This followed personal excellent engagement between myself and the Customs CG on this case”,Marwa stated in his reaction to the seizure and ongoing investigation. Signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA on Tuesday 11th November 2025.

Saudi-bound wanted drug lord arrested as NDLEA raids his clandestine colos lab in Lagos… Dismantles laboratory, recovers 148.3kg Colorado, precursors; nabs 73-year-old grandpa, 70-year-old grandma in Edo, Bayelsa

A wanted drug lord, 40-year-old Yussuf Abayomi Azeez has been arrested by operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos while on his way to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, a holy pilgrimage, after months of intelligence and surveillance on him and his criminal drug activities.

The drug kingpin had been arrested and charged for drug offences in the United Kingdom but jumped bail and escaped to Nigeria. Soon after settling down in Lagos, he set up a massive clandestine laboratory in the Lekki area of the state for the production of Colorado, a deadly synthetic cannabis and other illicit substances.

At about 6:30am on Thursday 6th November 2025, Yussuf walked into the waiting hands of NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to board his flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah. He was swiftly driven to his 17 Vincent Eku street, Ogombo, Lekki, clandestine laboratory which has been under surveillance for a while. At the time of his arrest, Yussuf was found in company of another suspect, 43-year-old Abideen Kekere-Ekun.

Inside the massive building, operatives from the Agency’s Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring were able to dismantle all installed laboratory equipment, precursor chemicals and already produced illicit substances including Colorado, all weighing 148.3 kilograms.

At the Sifax bonded terminal in Okota, Lagos, NDLEA operatives in conjunction with men of Customs Service and other security agencies on Friday 7th November discovered 105.5kg Molly, a designers drug and 500 grams of methamphetamine during a joint examination of a shipment.

In Niger state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 6th November intercepted Ibrahim Mohammed, 35, in a Volvo truck marked GRZ 872 XA along Kainji-Wawa road while conveying 87,000 pills of tramadol and 72kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis.

Not less than 34,520 capsules of tramadol were found concealed in different compartments of a Toyota Corolla car marked GAN 102 AR intercepted along Zaki-Biam – Wukari road on Monday 3rd November while the driver Aliyu Samaila, 25, was arrested. The opioids were loaded from Onitsha, Anambra State, and heading to Cameroon. In another operation in Taraba, NDLEA officers on Thursday 6th November arrested a suspect Felix Tanko Chinedu, 28, with 15,020 capsules of tramadol at Kasuwabera ATC in Ardo Kola Local Government Area.

In Kogi state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway on Wednesday 5th November intercepted a consignment of 7.600kg Loud, a strong strain of cannabis. A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of the owner, Chukwunonso Anieze, 40, while no fewer than 175,000 pills of opioids were recovered from another consignment at the location same day.

Three suspects: Olayide Oyidiran, 39; Abdulsalam Abdulsalam, 28; and Opeyemi Tijjani, 39, were on Wednesday 5th November nabbed at Abuja/Kaduna tollgate with 769kg skunk being conveyed in a truck marked TRE 897 BE, coming from Lagos en route Owo, Ondo state and heading to Kano.

A 73-year-old grandpa James Ugbedo was on Friday 7th November arrested in a cannabis plantation at Igbeshi forest, Imiakebo, Etsako East Local Government Area, Edo state where 1,459.75kg skunk was destroyed and 5.6kg of same substance evacuated, while 70-year-old grandma Mrs Comfort Odudu was nabbed at Onopa, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state with 5kg skunk on Tuesday 4th November.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Transfiguration Seminary Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Day Secondary School, Sabonkasuwa Kontagora, Niger state; Immanuel College High School (Snr), Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Girls Secondary School, Ilelah, Sokoto; Government Day Secondary School, Namtari, Adamawa and NURTW leaders and members in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of SOP, DFCM, Tincan, Edo, Taraba, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger and Bayelsa Commands for the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.

“The dismantling of yet another clandestine laboratory for the production of Colorado and other dangerous synthetic substances and the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, coming barely a week after similar actions were taken against another cartel in Ajao estate Lagos shows that these are no doubt the first in the series of what will be many strikes against merchants of death who prey on the weak in our communities. Let it be known to those still hiding in the dark that the NDLEA supported by our local and international law enforcement partners will continue to hunt them and bring them to justice”, Marwa added. Signed, Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy
NDLEA on Sunday 9th November 2025.

5 drug kingpins bag 21 years imprisonment over Gabon, Australia-bond cocaine, opioids… Forfeit cash, luxury vehicles to Federal Government

Five members of some international organized criminal groups (IOCG) recently arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in connection with the seizure of 68.9 kilograms cocaine and tramadol at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos have been sentenced to combined 21 years imprisonment.

The trio of Olasupo Michael Oladimeji; Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi; and Sola Adegoke who are leaders of one of the cartels were arrested following the seizure of 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms going to Sydney, Australia at the export shed of the MMIA Lagos on 26th August 2025. In the course of investigation, 20.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from Ogunbiyi’s home in Lekki and a black Range Rover SUV marked RBC 459 EJ found in Adegoke’s residence in Ikeja G.R.A.

They were subsequently arraigned on five counts in charge number FHC/L/925C/2025 before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos on 30th October 2025. The accused persons later pleaded guilty to the charges against each of them.

Delivering his judgement on 31st October, Justice Kakaki sentenced each of them to five years imprisonment without the option of fine, bringing the total number of years in jail for the three of them to 15 years. The court further ordered that the Range Rover SUV and a Toyota Venza Car seized from the convicts in the course of the investigation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Similarly, two kingpins of another syndicate: Obunike Joseph Obichukwu and Uzorchukwu Godspower Chukwurah were arrested by NDLEA operatives following the seizure of 2.60kg cocaine and 27.90kg tramadol concealed in motor spare parts being taken to Gabon through the Lagos airport on 19th July 2025. At the end of investigation, the duo were charged and arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court Lagos on six counts in charge number FHC/L/980C.

Upon their arraignment on Tuesday 4th November, they both pleaded guilty and after a review of the facts of the case, the two defendants were convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment or payment of a fine of ₦2 million each in lieu of jail while the ₦4 million paid by Obunike to bribe NDLEA officers was ordered forfeited to the Federal Government. Signed, Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA on Friday 7th November 2025.