NDLEA arrests couple of cocaine traffickers and others, recovers consignments of cocaine and fentanyl worth billions of naira

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos and Ogun States have busted a cocaine trafficking cartel run by a couple; Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda.

According to the NDLEA, the baron and his queen were arrested during one of the raids carried out by the intelligence agencies with billions of naira worth of illicit drugs recovered from them.

The duo was arrested on Saturday, May 25, 2024, by operatives of a special operations unit of the NDLEA with the support of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration at Ibiye, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, while that they were trying to cross the land border to deliver the lot. in Ghana.

READ: Self-proclaimed footballer arrested with 111 envelopes of cocaine

In a statement on Monday, the agency's director of media and advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said that “at the time of their arrest, 42 blocks of class A drugs weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on them. A quick follow-up operation at their residence located at Plot 24/25 OPIC Extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun State, recovered eight more blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the total weight of cocaine seized from the couple at 57.5 kilograms.

“In another raid by the special operations unit, as many as 1,100 vials of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, weighing 6.48 kg, were recovered from a union member drug trafficking, Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi, 34, at Idumota Popular Market in Lagos Island.

“Furthermore, no less than 790 ampoules of the dangerous opioid weighing 5.273 kg were also seized from another member of the fentanyl syndicate, Chieze Ogechukwu Benjamin, 48, who was also arrested at Idumota market.

“Fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than heroin, is currently responsible for more than 70% of overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the United States.

“Two others: Olayiwola Aremu Kazeem, 37, and Ogunfowora Taofik Ajibola, 35, were arrested on Lagos Island during another raid by NDLEA operatives with 432 grams of methamphetamine recovered from them .

“At Tincan Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday May 25 intercepted 15 packages of Loud, a synthetic variety of cannabis weighing 7.5 kg, concealed in the doors and crevices of the body of a Toyota Highlander SUV in a container marked MSMU 7294325. The container declared as containing three units of used vehicles, including the Toyota Highlander, originating from Toronto and shipped to Nigeria via Montreal, Canada.

“A quick 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.

“A bribe of six million naira offered to NDLEA officers by the Canada-based container shipper through his agent was also recorded as an exhibit for the prosecution of the case.

The Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), while reacting to the arrest of the drug lords and seizure of dangerous illicit drugs, commended the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit for their resilience in targeting. and eliminate cartels and drug lords.

He also commended the results-oriented collaboration between the NDLEA and its local and international partners, calling on all commands and formations of the Agency to remain relentless in their offensive action against the drug underworld.