NDLEA Uncovers Cocaine in Palm Kernel Oil Cans, Records Arrests and Seizures Nationwide
Abuja, Nigeria | April 7, 2026
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered cocaine consignments concealed in tins of palm kernel oil bound for the United Kingdom, as part of a series of intelligence-led operations carried out across the country.
The operations, which lasted three weeks, led to the dismantling of a drug trafficking syndicate. Authorities intercepted the illicit shipments and subsequently raided a warehouse used for packaging the drugs, resulting in the arrest of the cartel’s kingpin.
In a related development, a 28-year-old suspect, Aisha Adamu, who operated between Nigeria’s North-East and Chad, was arrested in possession of 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis.
Similarly, a cleric, Afolabi Hodonu, aged 45, alongside his wife, Success Hodonu, aged 35, were apprehended with 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments of their vehicle. Another suspect, Sunday Samuel, who allegedly posed as a security agent, was arrested while transporting 24.5 kilograms of skunk from the Seme border to Lagos.
Across other parts of the country, NDLEA operatives recorded further seizures and arrests. In Adamawa State, a trailer conveying 48,000 pills of tramadol was intercepted. In Osun State, a 60-year-old woman, Idiatu Oladejo, was caught with 15 kilograms of skunk in Isale Osun, Osogbo.
In Ondo State, operatives recovered 351 kilograms of skunk and its seeds in Akure. Similarly, in Benue State, a 66-year-old suspect, Aminu Usman Gembu, was arrested in Aliade with 28,600 capsules of tramadol.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, NDLEA officers raided a warehouse belonging to Roland Owie, recovering 1,378 kilograms of skunk.
In Ibadan, a 40-year-old suspected drug dealer, Ayantola Omodunmomi, popularly known as Iya Elle, was arrested at the Eleta area with 45.6 kilograms of drugs discovered in her warehouse.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers and men of the Agency across various commands for maintaining a strategic balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
He noted that the successes recorded underscore the agency’s growing intelligence capabilities and its firm commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks, regardless of the methods used or the status of those involved.
“These operations demonstrate our resolve to dismantle drug cartels, whether they hide behind legitimate businesses, religious titles, or sophisticated concealment strategies,” he stated.
