The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 39-year-old female drug kingpin, Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, in Lagos, recovering 23.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in her children’s room, in a sweeping series of nationwide anti-narcotics operations that also led to multiple arrests and major seizures across several states.
Shodunke’s arrest comes 20 months after operatives dismantled a cocaine trafficking syndicate led by Bolanle Lookman Dauda and his wife, Olayinka Toheebat Dauda, who were intercepted in May 2024 while attempting to transport cocaine from Lagos to Ghana. The couple were found with 47.5kg of cocaine at the time of arrest, while an additional 10kg was later recovered from their residence in Ogun State, bringing the total seizure from the cartel to 57.5kg.
Following sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance, NDLEA operatives identified Shodunke as a key stash keeper within the trans-border drug trafficking organisation. She was arrested on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at her residence on Onasanya Street, Surulere, Lagos. A search of her home led to the recovery of 23.5kg of cocaine hidden in a suitcase inside her children’s room. She reportedly admitted ownership of the drugs, estimated to be worth over ₦5 billion in street value.
In a related operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, NDLEA officers intercepted a 36-year-old businessman, Nwanwene Robinson Destiny, at the Terminal II departure hall on Thursday, December 18. He was found with 1,020 pills of tramadol and tapentadol concealed in his luggage while attempting to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy. The suspect claimed he would have earned €200 for delivering the opioids abroad.
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 48-year-old Beninoise national, Leocardi Josu, with 3,400 tablets of tramadol while attempting to enter Nigeria. In Kogi State, a 30-year-old suspect, Abdullahi Adamu, was apprehended along the Okene–Lokoja highway with 28.4kg of skunk and synthetic cannabis.
Further seizures were recorded in Oyo State, where NDLEA officers recovered 125,000 capsules of tramadol and 1,800 ampoules of pentazocine injection from a Toyota Hiace bus along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Two suspects were also arrested in Ibadan with 185.4kg of skunk. In Osun State, 405kg of skunk was seized during a raid on Owena/Ijesha forest, leading to the arrest of a 45-year-old suspect.
In Kaduna State, operatives intercepted 14,960 pills of tramadol concealed in kolanut sacks along the Abuja–Kaduna highway, while additional arrests and seizures were recorded across other commands nationwide.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations for their professionalism and effectiveness. He urged all commands to remain vigilant during the festive season and to sustain both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts nationwide.
The agency also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across several states during the period.
