NDLEA Bursts Cocaine Hidden in Religious Books Bound for Saudi Arabia, Arrests Bandit Supplier Concealing Drugs in Private Parts
In a sweeping nationwide crackdown, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a string of major drug trafficking operations, including a shocking attempt to smuggle cocaine concealed in religious books bound for Saudi Arabia.
The startling discovery was made on Tuesday, 15th April 2025, at a courier company in Lagos by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI). The cocaine, totaling 500 grams and cleverly embedded in the pages of 20 religious books, was part of a consignment meant for Saudi Arabia.
In a separate operation the same day, NDLEA agents at another courier firm intercepted five parcels of Loud, a potent cannabis strain, weighing 2.8kg. The drugs were concealed in a carton originating from the United States of America.
Meanwhile, in Kano, operatives arrested a 22-year-old identified as Muhammad Mohammed, who was allegedly supplying illicit substances to armed bandits. He was intercepted along the Bichi-Kano road with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection strapped to his thighs and private parts using Sellotape. The arrest took place on Sunday, 13th April.
Another suspect, 43-year-old Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, was arrested on the same day in the Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano, with 68 blocks of skunk, weighing 30kg.
In Bayelsa State, NDLEA agents raided a drug warehouse located along Major General Isaiah Allison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, seizing a staggering 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine, and 29.8 grams of heroin. Four suspects arrested during the operation include: Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare Paul, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46.
The relentless effort continued in Lagos on Thursday, 17th April, where 1,100kg of skunk was recovered from a delivery van in Surulere. The driver, Ismail Abdullahi, was apprehended.
In Kaduna, a raid in Zaria on Friday, 18th April, led to the arrest of Ike Ani, 30, and the seizure of 31,950 pills of Tramadol 225mg and Diazepam.
NDLEA operatives in Kebbi, while patrolling Bagudo road the same day, intercepted a charcoal-laden vehicle from Benin Republic. A closer inspection revealed 97kg of skunk hidden inside sacks of charcoal. Three suspects — Abubakar Ibrahim, 50; Mustapha Aliyu, 32; and Bashar Lawali, 28 — were arrested.
In Anambra State, 48-year-old Okafor Marcel was caught with 11.5kg of skunk in Abatete. Similarly, in Osogbo, Osun State, Ajala Mercy, 27, was arrested on 15th April after 43 litres of “skushi” — a concoction of black currant, cannabis, and opioids — were discovered in her residence at Dada Estate, Halleluyah area.
In Edo State, NDLEA agents raided two cannabis farms in Egbeta Forest, Ovia North East LGA, destroying over 3,717.86kg of cannabis grown on 1.49 hectares, and recovering an additional 136.5kg of processed cannabis.
At the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, a long-wanted suspect, Basorun Usman Kayode, 40, was finally apprehended in connection to the 2023 seizure of 107kg of Loud imported from Canada. Another dealer, Dauda Yakubu, was arrested for distributing drugs within the seaport community on Monday, 14th April.
The agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy also made strides nationwide with sensitization lectures in schools and public places including St. Michael Anglican Primary School in Epe, Lagos; Community Grammar School, Ipoti Ekiti; College of Education, Minna; and markets and transport hubs in Osun, Cross River, and Anambra States.
Commending the operatives, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said, “I commend the officers and men of DOGI, Kano, Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Zone 13, Edo and Tincan Commands for their excellent performance. Their dedication exemplifies a balanced approach to both drug supply reduction and demand reduction across the country.”
