The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a major drug trafficking syndicate that concealed cocaine inside tins of palm kernel extract bound for the United Kingdom, leading to the arrest of the cartel’s kingpin in Lagos.
According to a statement by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the intelligence-led operation lasted three weeks and began on March 11, 2026, when operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command, Ikeja, intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine at the airport’s export shed. The illicit consignment had been carefully hidden inside tins of palm kernel extract prepared for shipment to the UK.
Two suspects linked to the shipment, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were immediately arrested. Following further investigation, NDLEA operatives on April 2 arrested the sender of the consignment, Ezemuwo Joel, who allegedly operated under a false identity as “Ajayi.”
His arrest led operatives to the head of the syndicate, 52-year-old King Arinze, who was traced to a hideout in the Isolo area of Lagos. He was subsequently taken to his warehouse located at 11, Ola Ifa Street, Bucknor, Isolo, where NDLEA recovered 886 tins of palm kernel extract prepared for drug concealment, industrial tools including a sealing machine and tin openers, paint sprays, 52 grams of cannabis sativa, and a pack of hand gloves.
NDLEA said Arinze confessed to personally draining the oil from the tins to conceal cocaine before sealing them for export.
In a separate operation in Borno State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 28-year-old female suspect, Aisha Adamu, along Gamboru Ngala road on April 1. She was found in possession of 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, and is believed to be supplying drugs to bandit groups operating between the North East and Chad.
Also in Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested the pastor in charge of Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach, Sakpo area of Seme border, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu, 45, and his wife, Mrs. Success Hodonu, 35, at the Gbaji checkpoint on April 2. A search of their Honda Pilot SUV led to the recovery of 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments of the vehicle.
The agency said the couple’s arrest followed the earlier apprehension of a fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, 35, at the same checkpoint on March 30 while he was allegedly transporting 24.5 kilograms of skunk from Seme border to Lagos.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa State intercepted a trailer marked RUW 947 XA along Namtari road in Yola South on March 30 and recovered 48,000 pills of tramadol. The truck driver, Abdulaziz Ismail Korede, was arrested, while a follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, Idris Adamu.
In Osun State, 60-year-old Idiatu Oladejo was arrested with 15 kilograms of skunk in Isale Osun, Osogbo, on April 1. In Ondo State, operatives raided Itaogbolu forest in Akure and recovered 351 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Benue State arrested 66-year-old Aminu Usman Gembu at Aliade with 28,600 capsules of tramadol on April 1. In Edo State, a suspect, Roland Owie, 37, was arrested following a raid on his warehouse in Egbanke community, Orhionmwon Local Government Area, where 1,378 kilograms of skunk were recovered.
In Oyo State, a notorious drug dealer identified as Ayantola Omodunmomi, also known as “Iya Elle,” was arrested in the Eleta area of Ibadan on April 1. NDLEA said intelligence revealed she used her 11-year-old daughter, Anjola, to deliver illicit drugs to customers. A total of 45.6 kilograms of skunk was recovered from her warehouse.
Beyond enforcement, NDLEA said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continued nationwide, with sensitisation lectures held in schools across Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Anambra and Zamfara states.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised commands in MMIA, Seme, Borno, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Edo, Adamawa and Benue for their efforts.
“These successful operations are a testament to the Agency’s evolving intelligence capabilities and our unwavering commitment to choking the supply lines of drug cartels. Whether they hide behind legitimate businesses, religious titles, or complex concealment methods, we will find them,” Marwa said.
