For 20 months, she was a ghost. But the law finally caught up with Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, a 39-year-old mother and alleged drug “stash keeper,” whose run from justice ended this week in a Surulere apartment.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed the arrest of Simbiat after a high-stakes intelligence operation. When officers raided her home on Onasanya Street, they found a black suitcase tucked away in her children’s bedroom. Inside was 23.5 kilograms of cocaine—a haul with a staggering street value of over N5 billion.
The 20-Month Manhunt
Simbiat had been on the radar since May 2024, when the NDLEA dismantled a massive trafficking syndicate moving drugs between Lagos and Ogun states. While her alleged partners—a couple named Bolanle and Olayinka Dauda—were caught at the border trying to escape to Ghana with 57.5kg of cocaine, Simbiat managed to slip away.
She stayed underground for nearly two years, but investigators never stopped watching. According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Simbiat eventually admitted that the multibillion-naira stash found in her home belonged to her.
A Nationwide Crackdown
The arrest of the “cocaine queen” was just the tip of the iceberg in a busy week for the agency:
-
The Airport Interception: At Murtala Muhammed International Airport, 36-year-old businessman Nwanwene Robinson Destiny was stopped before boarding a flight to Milan. He was carrying over 1,000 pills of high-strength tramadol and tapentadol. His fee for the risky delivery? A mere €200.
-
The Seme Border Catch: A 48-year-old woman from Benin Republic, Leocardi Josu, was nabbed trying to cross into Nigeria with 3,400 tablets of tramadol.
-
The Kolanut Cover-up: On the Abuja-Kaduna highway, a man was caught with nearly 15,000 pills hidden inside sacks of kolanuts destined for Zamfara.
-
Forest Raids: In Osun State, a raid on the Owena/Ijesha forest resulted in the seizure of 405kg of “skunk” (potent cannabis).
Message from the Top
The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded his officers for their persistence, especially in tracking down suspects who thought they had successfully vanished.
With the festive season approaching, Marwa has put all commands on high alert, warning traffickers that the agency will be doubling its efforts to keep narcotics off the streets during the holidays.
