Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recorded major breakthroughs in Lagos and Oyo states with the interception of illicit drugs and the arrest of a wanted drug kingpin.
In Lagos, the agency seized consignments of ketamine, ecstasy and tramadol pills concealed in sachets of coffee mix and book parcels bound for Zambia and the United Kingdom. The seizures were made at a courier company in the state on December 24 and 29, 2025.
Also in Lagos, NDLEA operatives uncovered 31.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in hatch three of a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, at the GDNL terminal, Apapa Port, on January 2, 2026. Following the discovery, 22 Indian crew members of the ship, including the master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, were taken into custody for investigation.
In addition, a large consignment of cannabis was intercepted in the state on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2026, when NDLEA officers recovered about 400 kilograms of skunk along with a van at the Mobolaji Johnson area of Lagos, further dealing a blow to drug trafficking networks operating in the state.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested a wanted female drug kingpin, Fatima Ilori, popularly known as “Mama Kerosine,” during an intelligence-led operation in Ibadan on December 29, 2025. The 65-year-old suspect, described as a major distributor of illicit drugs in the state capital, was apprehended alongside another female suspect, Olusanya Abosede, at the Onireke/Elekuro area of the city.
The arrest in Oyo followed the seizure of 238.4 kilograms of skunk linked to the suspect, marking a significant disruption of drug distribution channels in Ibadan. Commending the Lagos and Oyo commands for the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), urged officers to sustain the momentum in the agency’s ongoing war against drug trafficking and abuse.