NDLEA Busts Cocaine Smuggling Ring Using Palm Kernel Oil Cans, Arrests Kingpin in Lagos

NDLEA Busts Cocaine Smuggling Ring Using Palm Kernel Oil Cans, Arrests Kingpin in Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a sophisticated cocaine trafficking syndicate that concealed illicit drugs in palm kernel oil cans bound for the United Kingdom, leading to the arrest of a kingpin in Lagos and multiple suspects across Nigeria in coordinated intelligence-led operations.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a high-level drug trafficking network following a three-week intelligence-driven operation that exposed a complex method of concealing cocaine in tins of palm kernel extract for export.

The operation began on March 11, 2026, when NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine hidden in palm kernel oil cans at the export shed. Two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were arrested in connection with the shipment.

A follow-up sting operation conducted on April 2 led to the arrest of the sender, Ezemuwo Joel, who had been operating under a false identity, “Ajayi.” His capture provided intelligence that exposed the syndicate’s leader, identified as 52-year-old King Arinze.

NDLEA operatives subsequently tracked Arinze to his hideout in the Isolo area of Lagos, where he was apprehended. A raid on his warehouse at Bucknor, Isolo, led to the recovery of 886 tins prepared for drug concealment, along with industrial equipment including sealing machines, tin openers, and paint sprays. Authorities also recovered 52 grams of cannabis and protective gear. Arinze reportedly confessed to personally emptying the oil cans to hide cocaine consignments.

In a separate operation in Borno State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 28-year-old woman, Aisha Adamu, along the Gamboru-Ngala road. She was found with 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, allegedly intended for supply to bandit groups operating across the North-East and into Chad.

Meanwhile, in Lagos, a pastor of the Celestial Church of Christ, Agonvi Sea Beach, Badagry, Afolabi Hodonu, and his wife, Success Hodonu, were arrested at the Gbaji checkpoint on April 2. A search of their vehicle uncovered 11 kilograms of skunk concealed in hidden compartments.

Their arrest followed the earlier apprehension of a suspected fake security agent, Sunday Samuel, who was intercepted at the same checkpoint on March 30 with 24.5 kilograms of skunk en route from the Seme border to Lagos.

Elsewhere, NDLEA operations across the country yielded further arrests and seizures. In Adamawa State, officers intercepted a trailer transporting 48,000 tramadol pills along Namtari Road in Yola South, leading to the arrest of the driver, Abdulaziz Ismail Korede, and a subsequent arrest of the intended recipient, Idris Adamu.

In Osun State, a 60-year-old woman, Idiatu Oladejo, was arrested with 15 kilograms of skunk in Osogbo, while in Ondo State, operatives raided a forest in Itaogbolu, Akure, recovering 351 kilograms of cannabis.

Additional seizures included 28,600 tramadol capsules from a suspect in Benue State and 1,378 kilograms of skunk recovered from a warehouse in Edo State. In Oyo State, a suspected drug dealer, Ayantola Omodunmomi, was arrested in Ibadan, with 45.6 kilograms of skunk recovered. Authorities also alleged she used her 11-year-old daughter to distribute drugs.

The agency also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns nationwide, delivering sensitization lectures in schools across Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Anambra, and Zamfara states.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across multiple state commands for the successful operations, noting that the agency remains committed to disrupting drug supply chains and reducing demand nationwide.

“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,” Marwa stated. “No matter the concealment methods or cover, we will continue to track and dismantle these networks.”