Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a significant cocaine shipment concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish, popularly known as “Okporoko,” in Lagos. The agency also arrested a suspected kingpin linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the operation was based on credible intelligence regarding the group’s cross-border criminal activities. This led to a coordinated sting operation carried out by officers of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command in the Ojo area of Lagos on March 19, 2026.
During the raid, operatives recovered three large bags from a 36-year-old suspect identified as Akputa Dickson Ejike. A thorough search revealed 237 wraps of cocaine carefully hidden inside the heads of dry stock fish. The seized drugs had a total weight of 5.80 kilograms and were reportedly intended for export to Delhi, India.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers intercepted two additional illicit consignments bound for the United Kingdom at a courier facility in Lagos. One shipment, which originated from Cotonou in the Benin Republic, contained 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters. The second package was found to contain 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.
Further intensifying its crackdown, the agency’s Special Operations Unit raided a residence at 13 Carter Street, Yaba, on March 26. The raid led to the arrest of a 46-year-old woman, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, also known as “Iya Ghana,” alongside her associate, 31-year-old Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka.
During the operation, officials recovered 135 blocks of “Ghana Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis weighing 76.30 kilograms. Investigations revealed that Jolayemi, who publicly operates as a fabric trader, allegedly runs an underground drug distribution network spanning Nigeria and Ghana.
The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and curbing the movement of illicit substances across international borders.
