The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has smashed two major cocaine cartels responsible for six UK-bound shipments and arrested their suspected kingpin, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode, alongside five others, in a string of intelligence-led operations across Lagos spanning three weeks.
The operations, which uncovered 20.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in stainless steel cups, body cream, and hair gel containers, also led to large-scale seizures of cannabis and tramadol in several states, including Edo, Osun, Kaduna, Ogun, and Kwara.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the breakthrough came on September 16, 2025, when operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos intercepted 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.4kg hidden inside cocoa butter containers.
A cargo agent was immediately arrested, leading investigators to uncover Alhaji Ode as the mastermind.
After weeks of coordinated intelligence and cooperation with the police, Alhaji Ode, who claimed to be a businessman and estate developer, was apprehended.
During interrogation, he allegedly confessed ownership of the drug, which he said cost him over ₦150 million.
Ode, who had lived in several European countries before returning from the UK in 2024, is believed to be the head of a long-running export syndicate.
In a related operation, another cartel’s bid to export multiple cocaine consignments to the United Kingdom was foiled between September 26 and October 2.
NDLEA operatives arrested Smith David Korede, a furniture maker from Oshodi, Lagos, after intercepting cocaine hidden in hair cream containers.
Further raids led to the seizure of additional consignments weighing over 4kg and the arrest of Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa, both linked to the exports.
The Agency also intercepted a shipment from Thailand containing 6.3kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in bedsheets and hibiscus flowers.
In separate operations nationwide, NDLEA teams seized over 24,897kg of skunk, destroyed vast cannabis farms in Edo and Osun forests, and recovered thousands of bottles of codeine syrup, tramadol pills, and expired pharmaceuticals.
Among those arrested were:
- John Igbe, alias SammyBless, caught with 550g of Colorado in Lekki, Lagos
- Blessing Ovaka, with 498.5kg of skunk in Kaduna
- 25-year-old Salisu Abubakar, with 27,700 tramadol pills in Kwara
- And Abubakar Audu, nabbed with 112kg of skunk in Ogun.
In Edo, two suspects, Michael Ayang and Bernard “Don” New Year, were arrested after NDLEA operatives destroyed over 10,897kg of cannabis on more than four hectares of farmland.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), praised the operations, describing them as a testament to the agency’s renewed determination to crush drug networks nationwide.
“We’ll continue to target and dismantle every identified drug cartel, from the mules to the masterminds,” Marwa stated.
“Every arrest, seizure, and forfeited asset means lives saved and communities protected, both here in Nigeria and abroad.”
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, markets, and communities across several states during the week, reaffirming its dual focus on enforcement and prevention.
