NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Dry Fish, Arrests Suspected Drug Kingpins Nationwide
Lagos State , March 30, 2026
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish, popularly known as Okporoko, and arrested a suspected drug trafficker linked to an international syndicate.
The arrest followed credible intelligence on the group’s trans-border operations, prompting a coordinated sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command in Ojo, Lagos.
During the operation, officers apprehended a 36-year-old suspect, Akputa Dickson Ejike, who was found in possession of three jumbo bags. A thorough search of the bags revealed 237 wraps of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilograms, ingeniously hidden inside the fish heads. The illicit consignment was reportedly destined for Delhi, India.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted two drug shipments bound for the United Kingdom at a Lagos-based courier company. The consignments included 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters, alongside ampoules of morphine sulphate and fentanyl.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Agency’s Special Operations Unit raided a residence in Yaba, Lagos, leading to the arrest of a suspected drug kingpin, 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, also known as Iya Ghana, along with an accomplice. Recovered from the premises were 135 blocks of cannabis weighing over 76 kilograms.
In a related development, another suspect was apprehended in Surulere with 78 blocks of cannabis weighing 41 kilograms.
Further operations across the country yielded significant results. In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives arrested an 80-year-old man during a raid, recovering quantities of skunk and methamphetamine. Additional seizures were recorded in Ondo State, Benue State, Edo State, and Taraba State, where large quantities of illicit drugs were confiscated and several suspects taken into custody.
The Agency also disclosed that its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns are ongoing in schools nationwide, aimed at curbing drug abuse through education and awareness.
Chairman of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the successful operations and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to tackling drug trafficking while strengthening preventive advocacy efforts across the country.
