NDLEA Strikes Major Drug Syndicates, Intercepts Cocaine and Skunk Across Nigeria

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted significant quantities of illicit drugs, including cocaine, ketamine, Ecstasy, and Tramadol, concealed in coffee sachets, parcels, and cargo shipments destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom.

The most high-profile seizure occurred at the GDNL terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos, on Friday, 2nd January 2026, when NDLEA officers recovered 31.5 kilograms of cocaine from hatch 3 of the merchant vessel MV Aruna Hulya, which arrived from the Marshall Islands. In connection with the discovery, 22 Indian crew members were taken into custody, including the ship’s master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and other crew members: Bharati Manoj Kumar, Bhalerao Nilesh Mukund, Nadar Anthony Macson David, Kolusu Srinivasa Rao, and 17 others.

NDLEA’s Lagos command also reported prior seizures at a courier company on 24th and 29th December 2025, where officers discovered illicit substances concealed in coffee sachets and book parcels bound for international destinations.

Arrest of ‘Mama Kerosine’ and Disruption of Drug Networks

In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives carried out an intelligence-led operation that resulted in the arrest of Fatima Ilori, a 65-year-old female drug kingpin known as Mama Kerosine, along with 35-year-old Olusanya Abosede. The operation, conducted on Monday, 29th December 2025, led to the seizure of 238.4 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, linked to the suspects in Ibadan.

Similarly, in Borno State, the agency dismantled supply chains linked to insurgent financing. Two suspects, Isa Mohammed (26) and Musa Samaila (30), were arrested on Friday, 2nd January 2026, for trafficking 9,150 ampoules of Tramadol injection and 34,000 Tramadol capsules, respectively. These operations underline NDLEA’s continued focus on disrupting the distribution of illicit drugs to vulnerable and conflict-affected regions.

NDLEA Nationwide Seizures and Ongoing Anti-Drug Campaigns

NDLEA commands across Lagos, Jigawa, and Kwara States reported additional major seizures over the New Year period. On 1st January 2026, 400 kilograms of skunk and a van were recovered in Lagos, while Bilya Ibrahim, 39, was apprehended in Hadejia, Jigawa State, with 140.8 kilograms of compressed skunk in transit from Taraba to Yobe State. In Kwara State, 238.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered in Ilorin, alongside 32,000 pills of Tramadol and Diazepam seized in Morro LGA.

Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, communities, and workplaces nationwide. Recent engagements included lectures at Madrasatu Fadimatul Zahra in Katsina, sessions with Topo Youth Progressive Organisation in Badagry, Lagos, and community outreach in Madalla, Niger State. NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended officers nationwide and called for intensified drug control efforts across all formations.