NDLEA Busts Drug Ring: Female Kingpin Nabbed with N5bn Cocaine in Kids’ Room

LAGOS – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have smashed another arm of a notorious trans-border cocaine cartel, arresting 39-year-old Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat in her Surulere residence with 23.50 kilograms of cocaine valued at over N5 billion concealed in her children’s room. This operation, conducted on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, marks a significant blow to the syndicate dismantled 20 months earlier when kingpins Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda were nabbed with 57.5kg of the class A drug.

The couple’s arrest on May 25, 2024, at Ibiye along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway uncovered 47.5kg of cocaine in 42 blocks, with an additional 10kg seized from their Agbara, Ogun State home. NDLEA’s relentless intelligence-led pursuit identified Simbiat as a key stash keeper who had evaded capture since May 2024. A raid on her home at 31 Onasanya Street, Surulere, yielded the cocaine hidden in a black suitcase, which she confessed to owning.

NDLEA’s official statement, corroborated by recent reports from Vanguard and Premium Times, highlights the agency’s focus on disrupting high-value networks. The street value of the recovered cocaine exceeds N5 billion, underscoring the lucrative scale of Lagos-based trafficking syndicates linked to Ghanaian borders.

Airport and Border Interceptions Thwart Italy-Bound Opioids

In parallel operations, NDLEA heightened vigilance at key exit points. On Thursday, December 18, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Terminal II, Ikeja, officers intercepted 36-year-old Italy-based businessman Nwanwene Robinson Destiny with 1,020 pills of tramadol 225mg and tapentadol 200mg hidden in his luggage aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan. He admitted the haul would net him €200 upon delivery.

At Seme Border, Badagry, 48-year-old Beninoise national Leocardi Josu was arrested the same day smuggling 3,400 tramadol 225mg tablets into Nigeria. Additional seizures included 28.4kg of skunk cannabis and synthetic Colorado variant from Abdullahi Adamu, 30, along the Okene-Lokoja highway on December 19.

Nationwide Raids Yield Massive Hauls in Oyo,Osun,and Beyond

NDLEA’s sweep extended across states:

• Oyo State: 125,000 tramadol capsules and 1,800 pentazocine ampoules recovered from a Toyota Hiace (XD 592 AWL) on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on December 19. Earlier, on December 17 at Challenge Motor Park, Ibadan, Ogunlade Kazeem (54) and Adeleke Ismail (30) were nabbed with 185.4kg skunk.
• Osun State: 405kg skunk seized in Owena/Ijesha forest, with suspect Charles James (45) arrested on December 19.
• Kaduna-Abuja Axis: Jamilu Zakari (42) caught at Abuja-Kaduna tollgate with 14,960 tramadol 225mg pills hidden in kolanut sacks en route to Zamfara.

These busts align with NDLEA’s data from its 2024 annual report, which noted over 1,500 tons of drugs seized nationwide, including a surge in opioids and synthetics fueling West African trafficking routes to Europe.

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WADA Sensitization Amid Festive Crackdown

Beyond enforcement, NDLEA intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) with lectures in Anambra (Women Development Centre, Awka), Katsina (Youth Craft Village, Malumfashi), and Ekiti (NURTW in Ado Ekiti). Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised operatives from special units, MMIA, Seme, Kogi, Kaduna, Oyo, and Osun Commands, urging sustained vigilance during the yuletide season.

Marwa emphasized professionalism in supply and demand reduction, as Nigeria grapples with rising drug abuse rates—estimated at 14.4 million users per UNODC’s 2024 survey. The operations reflect NDLEA’s tech-driven intelligence, including surveillance and forensic tracking, amid partnerships with Interpol on transnational syndicates.