National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a cocaine trafficking cartel headed by a couple, Bolanle Dauda and Olayinka Dauda in Lagos and Ogun states with multi-billion-naira worth of the illicit drug recovered in two major operations following the arrest of the kingpin and his queen in one of the intelligence-led raids.
NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Tuesday, in Abuja, said:
“The duo were arrested on May 25, 2024, by operatives of a special operation unit in NDLEA with the support of Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States at Ibiye, along Lagos-Badagry expressway while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana.
Olayiwola Kazeem and Ogunfowora Ajibola, some of the suspects
“At the point of their arrest, 42 blocks of the Class A drug weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on them. A swift follow up operation in their residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun state, led to the recovery of additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the total weight of the cocaine seized from the couple to 57.5 kilograms.”
According to the statement, “In another raid by the special operation unit, no fewer than 1,100 ampoules of lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl, weighing 6.48kg were recovered from a member of a drug trafficking syndicate, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island.
“No less than 790 ampoules of the dangerous opioid weighing 5.273kg were equally seized from another member of the fentanyl syndicate, 48-year-old Chieze Benjamin, who was also arrested at Idumota market.
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“Fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid, which is 100 times more potent than heroin is currently responsible for over 70 percent overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US.
“Two other persons: Olayiwola Kazeem, 37, and Ogunfowora Ajibola, 35, were arrested on Lagos Island in a different raid by NDLEA officers with 432 grams of methamphetamine recovered from them.
“At the Tincan port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on May 25, intercepted 15 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 7.5kg concealed in the doors and body crevices of a Toyota Highlander SUV in a container marked MSMU 7294325.
“The container declared as containing three units of used vehicles including the Toyota Highlander originated from Toronto and shipped to Nigeria via Montreal, Canada.
“A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of two suspects: Sunday Sodade and Oriyomi Adesina, who were to receive the vehicle and the drug consignment.
“A bribe of six million naira offered NDLEA officers by the sender of the container based in Canada through his agent has also been registered as exhibit for the prosecution of the case,” the statement added.
