Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully dismantled a sophisticated drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos that concealed cocaine inside tins of palm kernel oil bound for the United Kingdom, marking a significant victory in Nigeria’s ongoing anti-narcotics efforts. The agency’s intelligence-led operations, which spanned approximately three weeks, also resulted in multiple arrests and seizures of other illicit substances across several states.
According to a statement by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the breakthrough began on March 11, 2026, when officers stationed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command in Ikeja, Lagos State, intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside tins of palm kernel extract at the airport’s export shed. The illicit consignment was prepared for shipment to the United Kingdom, with traffickers hoping to exploit normal export channels by hiding drugs within legitimate agricultural product packaging.
Two suspects linked to that shipment — Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin — were promptly arrested at the scene while managing the export consignment. Their apprehension triggered a larger investigation by NDLEA intelligence units and coordinated law enforcement teams.
A carefully coordinated sting operation on April 2, 2026, led to the arrest of another individual, Ezemuwo Joel, who had been submitting the shipment under a false identity and was listed as “Ajayi.” His capture provided investigators with critical leads that pointed to the top of the trafficking network.
Joel’s arrest ultimately exposed the syndicate’s alleged kingpin, identified as 52-year-old King Arinze, who was tracked to a hideout in the Isolo area of Lagos. NDLEA operatives apprehended Arinze and proceeded to raid his warehouse at 11, Ola Ifa Street, Bucknor, Isolo — a facility that appeared to serve as the syndicate’s central packaging and concealment hub.
Inside the warehouse, officers uncovered 886 tins of palm kernel extract that had been prepared for concealment of narcotics. Investigators also recovered a range of equipment and tools believed to be used in the drug packaging process, including sealing machines, tin openers and paint sprays, as well as 52 grams of cannabis sativa and a pack of gloves. Arinze reportedly confessed to personally draining oil from the tins in order to make space for the concealed cocaine before resealing them for export.
This arrest represents the culmination of a three-week, intelligence-driven campaign that successfully exposed all three tiers of the trafficking organization and led to the apprehension of the network’s principal figure. The method used to conceal cocaine inside legitimate export commodities highlights the evolving sophistication of drug smuggling tactics and the value of enhanced intelligence and inter-agency collaboration in counter-narcotics enforcement.
NDLEA officials also noted that this major operation was not isolated. In a parallel series of enforcement activities, officers across Nigeria made several other significant seizures and arrests. In Borno State, for instance, a suspected female drug supplier to armed bandit groups operating between the North-East and neighbouring Chad — identified as 28-year-old Aisha Adamu — was arrested along Gamboru Ngala Road with 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis.
In Lagos State, NDLEA operatives at the Gbaji checkpoint on the Seme border arrested Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, and his wife, Success Hodonu, 35, after finding 11 kilograms of skunk hidden in their vehicle during a search. The couple’s arrest followed a separate interception earlier in the same area, where a suspected fake security agent was apprehended transporting 24.5 kilograms of skunk.
Across other parts of the country, further operations yielded significant results. In Adamawa State, NDLEA officers intercepted a truck carrying 48,000 tramadol pills, leading to the arrest of the driver and the intended recipient. In Osun State, officers seized 15 kilograms of skunk in Osogbo. An extensive raid in Itaogbolu Forest in Ondo State uncovered 351 kilograms of skunk and its seeds. In Benue State, 28,600 tramadol capsules were confiscated from a suspect at Aliade. In Edo State, more than 1,300 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a warehouse in Egbanke, and in Oyo State, a suspected drug dealer was arrested after 45.6 kilograms of skunk was found in her possession; authorities alleged she used her 11-year-old daughter to help distribute the drugs.
These actions form part of NDLEA’s broader strategy to disrupt drug supply chains, choke off smuggling routes and hold traffickers accountable, regardless of their status or the complexity of their concealment methods. The agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), applauded the successful operations, stressing that ongoing enforcement and intelligence gathering remain central to tackling drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.
Amid enforcement efforts, the NDLEA also continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy programme nationwide, engaging students, school staff and community members in awareness campaigns about the dangers of drug abuse and the legal consequences of involvement in trafficking. Outreach activities have been conducted in states such as Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Anambra and Zamfara, where sensitisation lectures were held in secondary schools and Islamic institutions to educate youths and communities.
The arrest of King Arinze and the dismantling of the palm kernel oil cocaine trafficking syndicate underscore the agency’s evolving intelligence capabilities and its commitment to tackling both small- and large-scale drug operations, even when traffickers attempt to hide illicit consignments inside legitimate commercial exports.
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