The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has carried out a series of coordinated, intelligence-led operations that successfully dismantled at least six drug syndicates and led to the arrest of nine major kingpins across the country. The operations, according to officials, demonstrate the agency’s strengthened focus on disrupting organized drug networks.
One of the significant breakthroughs occurred when operatives uncovered a shipment of illicit substances concealed in pressure machine cylinders imported from South Africa. The NDLEA explained in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, that the shipment arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on November 13 before being traced to a logistics company in Onitsha.
Two suspects connected to the consignment—30-year-old electrical appliances dealer Ebulue Lotanwa Uzochukwu and 51-year-old South Africa returnee Christopher Michael Ndibuisi—were apprehended. The intercepted items included 5.40kg of methamphetamine, 10.70kg of Loud, 16g of cocaine, and several other prohibited substances.
Part of the statement revealed that NDLEA officers, acting on credible intelligence, arrested the suspects on November 18 after they attempted to collect the concealed drugs in Onitsha. The agency confirmed that the consignment, which arrived under airway bill number 118-12882973 on a Tag-Angola flight, was immediately seized upon arrival at the airport.
At the Lagos airport, operatives also intercepted a brake servo packed with 2.3kg of cocaine destined for Gabon. A subsequent operation at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo led to the arrest of the freight agent, Ameh Solomon, and an auto parts dealer, Nwafor Tochukwu Boniface.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers seized 4.7 tonnes of skunk from a trailer in Kabba. Three suspects were detained, and a follow-up investigation in Jos resulted in the arrest of the alleged kingpin, Marcus Danladi Dan Mangu, believed to be the owner of both the vehicle and the drugs. A related operation in Cross River State led to the arrest of a couple—Onun Okoi Okpotum and Itam Okoi Okpotum—after officers recovered 362 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 4,706kg from a warehouse in Ugep.
Additional arrests were recorded in Edo, Kebbi, Niger, Lagos, Enugu, and the Federal Capital Territory. Among those detained were two young women accused of producing and selling drug-laced brownies through online channels.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the operatives for their commitment and urged them to maintain the agency’s “balanced approach” to drug control as the festive season approaches. He emphasized that drug cartels often intensify their activities during this period, making vigilance even more crucial.