NDLEA Dismantles Lagos Drug Cartels Behind Cocaine Shipments to UK

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered and dismantled two major drug cartels in Lagos allegedly responsible for six cocaine consignments bound for the United Kingdom.

In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed that the three-week operation led to the arrest of six suspects, including the suspected kingpin, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode.

The operation began on September 16, 2025, when NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport intercepted 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.4kg, hidden in cocoa butter containers. Investigations traced the shipment to Ode, who was later arrested at Zone 2 Police Headquarters in Lagos.

Babafemi disclosed that Ode confessed to owning the drugs, valued at over ₦150 million. The suspect, who described himself as a businessman and estate developer, reportedly returned to Nigeria in 2024 after 27 years in Europe.

Further operations on October 2 led to the arrest of two more suspects, Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa, linked to additional cocaine shipments concealed in crayfish packages and stainless cups.

Babafemi said the seizures form part of NDLEA’s ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking through Nigeria’s airports and seaports. Investigations into the wider syndicate are still ongoing.