NDLEA intercepts cocaine hidden in stock fish heads, kingpins nabbed nationwide

Crime Diary

ABUJA (NPA) — 29 March 2026 — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a major cocaine consignment ingeniously concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish, locally known as Okporoko. Operatives also arrested a key syndicate member linked to trans‑border trafficking networks targeting India.

According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, in a statement today, intelligence led to a sting operation by the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command at Ojo, Lagos, on 19 March. Three jumbo bags in possession of 36‑year‑old kingpin Akputa Dickson Ejike contained 237 wraps of cocaine weighing 5.8kg, bound for Delhi.

Further raids in Lagos uncovered 1.9kg of methamphetamine hidden in auto filters, alongside morphine and fentanyl parcels destined for the UK. In Yaba, operatives arrested notorious dealer Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, alias Iya Ghana, seizing 135 blocks of cannabis. Additional arrests included Anayo Lucky Ohabiro with 41kg of cannabis, and multiple seizures across Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Taraba states — ranging from skunk warehouses to truckloads of compressed cannabis disguised as animal feed.

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Commending the operations, NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised officers for balancing supply reduction with demand reduction efforts. He vowed the agency would intensify its crackdown on syndicates exploiting Nigeria as a hub for global narcotics trafficking.