Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a major drug trafficking syndicate that concealed cocaine in tins of palm kernel oil bound for the United Kingdom, culminating in the arrest of the cartel’s kingpin in Lagos.
The operation, which spanned three weeks, began on March 11, 2026, when NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside palm kernel oil containers at the export shed.
Two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were arrested at the scene. A follow-up sting operation on April 2 led to the apprehension of the shipment’s sender, Ezemuwo Joel, who operated under a false identity.
Further intelligence from Joel’s arrest exposed the syndicate’s leader, 52-year-old King Arinze, who was tracked to a hideout in the Isolo area of Lagos. NDLEA operatives subsequently raided his warehouse, recovering 886 tins prepared for drug concealment, industrial sealing equipment, and other materials used in the illicit operation. Arinze reportedly confessed to draining the oil from the tins to conceal cocaine.
In a separate operation in Borno State, NDLEA officers intercepted 28-year-old Aisha Adamu along the Gamboru Ngala road with 4.3 kilograms of “Colorado,” a potent synthetic strain of cannabis allegedly meant for bandits operating in the North-East and neighbouring Chad.
Meanwhile, a pastor, Afolabi Hodonu, and his wife, Success Hodonu, were arrested at the Gbaji checkpoint in Badagry, Lagos, after 11 kilograms of skunk were discovered hidden in their vehicle. Their arrest followed the earlier capture of a fake security agent transporting 24.5 kilograms of the same substance along the Seme corridor.
In Adamawa State, operatives intercepted a trailer carrying 48,000 pills of tramadol along Namtari Road in Yola, leading to the arrest of the driver and the intended recipient. Additional operations across Osun, Ondo, Edo, Benue and Oyo states also led to multiple seizures of illicit drugs and arrests of suspects linked to distribution networks.
The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools across Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Anambra, and Zamfara states.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, said the successes highlight the agency’s strengthened intelligence capabilities.
“These successful operations are a testament to our commitment to dismantling drug cartels, regardless of the methods or disguises they employ,” he stated.
The NDLEA reaffirmed its resolve to intensify both supply reduction and public awareness efforts in the fight against drug trafficking nationwide.
