NDLEA makes largest cocaine seizure, recovers drug worth N193bn in Lagos warehouse

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted a major warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu area of Lagos State where 1.8tons (1,855kgs) of cocaine worth over $278,250,000, equivalent of about N194,775,000,000 in street value were seized.

Spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said on Monday in Abuja that the seizures appears to be the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the history of agency’s operations.

According to him, at least, four drug barons including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager were arrested in the well coordinated and intelligence led operation that lasted two days across different locations in Lagos State.

“Kingpins of the cocaine cartel in custody include: Messrs Soji Jibril, 69, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo state; Emmanuel Chukwu, 65, who hails from Ekwulobia, Anambra State; Wasiu Akinade, 53, from Ibadan, Oyo State; Sunday Oguntelure, 53, from Okitipupa, Ondo State and Kelvin Smith, 42, a native of Kingston, Jamaica.

“They are all members of an international drug syndicate that the agency has been trailing since 2018,” Babafemi said.

Located at 6 Olukuola crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu, the warehouse was raided on Sunday 18th September, 2022, while the barons were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between Sunday night and Monday 19th September.

Preliminary investigation reveals the class A drugs were warehoused in the residential estate from where the cartel was trying to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums.

While commending all the officers and men of the agency involved in the extensive investigation including those of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said the bust is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they will all go down if they fail to realise that the game has changed and stop their illicit drug trafficking.