NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Dry Fish Heads, Seizes Meth, Fentanyl in Multi-State Drug Busts

NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Dry Fish Heads, Seizes Meth, Fentanyl in Multi-State Drug Busts

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a major drug trafficking network, intercepting cocaine concealed in dry stock fish and seizing multiple illicit substances, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and morphine, in coordinated operations across several states.

The NDLEA said operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command dismantled part of a transnational drug syndicate following intelligence on its cross-border activities. During a sting operation in Ojo, Lagos, on Thursday, March 19, 2026, officers arrested a 36-year-old suspect, Akputa Dickson Ejike, identified as a key figure in the network.

A search of three jumbo bags in his possession led to the discovery of 237 wraps of cocaine weighing 5.80 kilograms, ingeniously concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish, commonly known as “Okporoko.” The illicit consignment was reportedly destined for Delhi, India.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two consignments bound for the United Kingdom at a Lagos-based courier firm on March 25. One shipment, originating from Cotonou, Benin Republic, contained 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in automobile filters. The second parcel comprised 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl.

Further crackdowns by a Special Operations Unit (SOU) led to the arrest of a suspected drug kingpin, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, 46, also known as “Iya Ghana,” at her residence in Yaba, Lagos. She was apprehended alongside a sales associate, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, 31. Authorities recovered 135 blocks of “Ghana Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 76.30 kilograms. Investigations revealed that Jolayemi allegedly operated a cross-border drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana under the guise of a fabric business.

On the same day, operatives arrested another suspect, Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, in Surulere, Lagos, with 78 blocks of cannabis weighing 41 kilograms.

In Ekiti State, NDLEA officers arrested an 80-year-old suspect, Oke Samuel, during a raid at Mosafuneto camp in Efon-Alaaye, recovering 2.2 kilograms of skunk and small quantities of methamphetamine. In neighbouring Ondo State, operatives seized 894.72 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance from a suspect, Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley, during a raid on an uncompleted building in Akure North.

Operations in other parts of the country also yielded significant seizures. In Benue State, 116.7 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a suspect in Guma Local Government Area. In Edo State, NDLEA uncovered a warehouse in Ekpoma, leading to the arrest of a 25-year-old suspect and the seizure of 576.5 kilograms of skunk alongside 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.

Meanwhile, in Taraba State, operatives intercepted a truck conveying 135 kilograms of compressed cannabis concealed in bags of animal feed en route from Garbachede to Gombe State. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure.

Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continues nationwide, with sensitisation programmes conducted in schools across Cross River, Adamawa, Oyo, Kano, and Lagos states.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across multiple commands for the successful operations, urging continued balance between drug supply reduction and demand reduction strategies.