NDLEA CRUSHES INTERNATIONAL COCAINE CARTELS

Arrowhead, Five Others Nabbed Behind Six UK-Bound Shipments
Multi-Billion Naira Narcotics Empire Exposed in Lagos

In a major crackdown on international drug syndicates, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled two powerful cartels responsible for six separate cocaine shipments destined for the United Kingdom. The sophisticated network concealed narcotics in everyday items, including stainless cups, cocoa butter body cream, hair gel containers, crayfish packs, and even bed sheets.

After three weeks of painstaking intelligence-led operations in Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested five key suspects, including the alleged ringleader, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode, a self-styled businessman and property developer.

The First Breakthrough
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed that the first major interception occurred on September 16, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, when officers discovered 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.40kg hidden in cocoa butter body cream containers.
A cargo agent was immediately arrested, and subsequent investigations traced the consignment back to Alhaji Ode. Following weeks of surveillance and a joint operation with the police, Ode was finally arrested.

He confessed to ownership of the drugs, admitting that he purchased them for over ₦150 million. The cartel kingpin reportedly spent 27 years in Europe before returning to Nigeria in 2024, where he set up his narcotics empire under the guise of legitimate business.

Other Arrests and Seizures
Further operations busted five additional UK-bound cocaine consignments. Among those arrested was Smith David Korede, a furniture maker caught with 1.4kg of cocaine at his residence in Mafoluku, Oshodi.
Two more suspects — Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa — were apprehended after operatives uncovered 2.6kg of cocaine concealed in crayfish packs and hair cream containers.

The NDLEA also intercepted a shipment of 6.3kg of “Loud”, a potent strain of cannabis imported from Thailand, hidden inside bed sheets and hibiscus flowers.

Nationwide Drug War
In parallel raids across Kano, Lagos, Kwara, Ogun, Kaduna, Osun, and Edo States, NDLEA operatives seized large hauls of tramadol, skunk, codeine syrup, and nitrous oxide (popularly called “laughing gas”).

The Agency stressed that these coordinated operations were part of its intensified war against transnational drug syndicates exploiting Nigeria as a hub for global trafficking.

> “This is yet another demonstration of our commitment to dismantling criminal networks and cutting off their lifelines. NDLEA will continue to hunt down drug barons and bring them to justice,” Babafemi declared.

With Ode and his cartel now in custody, NDLEA says investigations are ongoing to trace their international collaborators and financial backers, signaling what could be one of the biggest drug prosecutions in Nigeria’s recent history.