The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a major consignment of cocaine concealed in imported dry stockfish heads and arrested a suspected key figure in an international drug trafficking network operating across multiple countries, including India.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the seizure followed credible intelligence on cross-border criminal activities, leading to a coordinated operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command at the Ojo area of Lagos on March 19.
According to him, officers recovered 237 wraps of cocaine weighing 5.80 kilograms, cleverly concealed inside stockfish heads locally known as “okporoko,” packed in three jumbo bags allegedly belonging to a 36-year-old suspect, Akputa Dickson Ejike. The illicit consignment was reportedly bound for Delhi, India.
Babafemi further revealed that in a separate operation on March 25, NDLEA operatives at a courier company in Lagos intercepted two additional drug shipments destined for the United Kingdom. One contained 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in automobile filters, while the other comprised 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl.
In another major breakthrough, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspected female drug baron, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, 46, popularly known as “Iya Ghana,” during a raid at her residence in Yaba, Lagos. A total of 135 blocks of “Ghana Loud,” weighing 76.30 kilograms, were recovered.
Similarly, a suspect identified as Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, was apprehended in Surulere, Lagos, with 78 blocks of the same substance weighing 41 kilograms.
The agency’s operations extended beyond Lagos. In Ekiti State, an 80-year-old suspect, Oke Samuel, was arrested during a raid along Erinmo Road in Efon-Alaaye, with 2.2 kilograms of skunk and methamphetamine recovered. In Ondo State, another suspect was caught with 894.72 kilograms of skunk hidden in an uncompleted building.
Further crackdowns in Benue, Edo, and Taraba States led to multiple seizures, including skunk, codeine-based syrup, and cannabis concealed in animal feed, alongside several arrests.
Babafemi added that the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continues nationwide, with sensitisation programmes held in schools across Cross River, Adamawa, Oyo, Kano, and Lagos States.
He commended NDLEA officers across the various commands for the successful operations, reiterating the agency’s commitment to tackling drug trafficking through a dual strategy of reducing supply and curbing demand.
What you should know
The latest operations by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency highlight Nigeria’s ongoing fight against international drug trafficking networks.
The interception of cocaine concealed in stockfish underscores the evolving tactics used by traffickers to evade detection.
With multiple arrests across states and continued public awareness campaigns like War Against Drug Abuse, authorities are intensifying efforts to combat both the supply and consumption of illicit drugs, while strengthening border and domestic enforcement ahead of rising global trafficking concerns.
