NDLEA Burst Two Billionaire Drug Cartels ……..intercepts drugs concealed in imported vehicle compartments

Babatunde Ayeni

The Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA have arrested cocaine trafficking cartel headed by a couple, Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda in Lagos and Ogun states with multi-billion-naira worth of the cocaine recovered. According to a statement signed by the Agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the arrest was possible with the support of Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States and Daudas were arrested at Ibiye, along Lagos-Badagry expressway while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana.

"The duo were arrested on Saturday 25th May 2024 by operatives of a special operation unit in NDLEA with the support of Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States at Ibiye, along Lagos-Badagry expressway while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana At the point of their arrest, 42 blocks of the Class A drug weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on them.

A swift follow up operation in their residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun state, led to the recovery of additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the total weight of the cocaine seized from the couple to 57.5 kilograms” the statement read. 

The statement added that a total of 790 ampoules of the dangerous opioid weighing 5.273kg were equally seized from another member of the fentanyl syndicate, 48-year-old Chieze Ogechukwu Benjamin who was also arrested at Idumota market.

 “In another raid by the special operation unit, no fewer than 1,100 ampoules of lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl, weighing 6.48kg were recovered from a member of a drug trafficking syndicate, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island” Babafemi said.

Fentanyl, according to NDLEA is a lethal synthetic opioid, which is 100 times more potent than heroin is currently responsible for over 70% overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US. Also, NDLEA operatives had on Saturday 25th May at the Tincan port in Lagos, intercepted 15 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 7.5kg concealed in the doors and body crevices of a Toyota Highlander SUV in a container marked MSMU 7294325. Babafemi said a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of two suspects:

Sunday Sodade and Oriyomi Adesina, who were to receive the vehicle and the drug consignment and that a bribe of six million naira offered NDLEA officers by the sender of the container based in Canada through his agent has also been registered as exhibit for the prosecution of the case. 

Commenting on the arrests and recoveries made by the agency’s operatives, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the special operation unit for their resilience in targeting and taking down drug cartels and barons, praising the result-oriented collaboration between NDLEA and its local and international partners, urging all commands and formations of the Agency to remain unrelenting in their offensive action against the drug underworld.