The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has busted two major drug cartels behind multiple cocaine export attempts through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, leading to the arrest of several suspects, including the syndicate’s kingpin, Hammed Taofeek Ode, a self-styled businessman and real estate developer.
According to the NDLEA, the breakthrough followed three weeks of intelligence-led operations that tracked six separate cocaine consignments concealed in unusual containers, including stainless cups, hair cream, and body cream jars, destined for Europe and the United Kingdom.
The first bust occurred on 16 September 2025, when operatives at MMIA intercepted 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.4 kilograms hidden in cocoa butter body cream containers.
The arrest of a cargo agent led investigators to Ode, who was eventually taken into custody with the cooperation of the police.
He later confessed to owning the drug shipment, which he said he purchased for over N150 million.
Five other attempts by another syndicate to smuggle cocaine to the UK were also foiled.
On 26 September, NDLEA agents seized 2.1 kilograms of cocaine hidden in hair cream containers, leading to the arrest of Smith David Korede, a furniture maker.
Two additional consignments linked to Korede were recovered days later, each similarly concealed and bound for the UK.
Further raids between September 30 and October 2 led to the arrest of two more suspects, Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa, after cocaine was found hidden inside crayfish and stainless cups, weighing a combined 2.6 kilograms.
In a related development, NDLEA officers intercepted 6.3 kilograms of Loud, a potent cannabis strain, smuggled from Thailand and concealed in bedsheets and hibiscus flowers.
Joint operations with the Nigerian Customs Service along the Danbatta–Daura road in Kano also led to the seizure of 290,450 pills of Tramadol and Pregabalin and the arrest of Sa’adu Ali, 38.
Across other states, the agency carried out coordinated raids, arresting over 20 suspects and seizing large quantities of illicit substances.
In Lagos, notorious dealer John Igbe (aka SammyBless) was arrested with 550 grams of Colorado, while three others were caught in Mushin with 109kg of skunk and codeine syrup.
In Ogun State, 112kg of skunk was recovered at Isheri, while in Osun, NDLEA officers destroyed 14,000kg of cannabis cultivated on over 5 hectares of land and arrested three suspects.
Similar operations in Edo, Kwara, Kaduna, and Kogi resulted in multiple arrests and the seizure of thousands of kilograms of cannabis and psychotropic substances.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the officers involved in the operations, reaffirming the agency’s determination to dismantle every level of the drug trafficking network, from couriers to cartel leaders.
“These successful operations should serve as a warning that the NDLEA will not relent until the menace of substance abuse and illicit trafficking is eradicated.
“Every arrest, seizure, and asset forfeiture signifies lives saved and communities protected,” Marwa said.
He also commended the resilience of NDLEA commands in MMIA, Kano, Edo, Kwara, Kaduna, Ogun, Osun, Kogi, and the FCT, noting that their “tenacity and professionalism” continue to strengthen the agency’s war against drugs.
