NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Saudi-Bound Religious Books, Arrests Bandits’ Drug Supplier
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recorded a series of major interceptions and arrests across the country, including the seizure of cocaine concealed in religious books bound for Saudi Arabia and the arrest of a drug courier supplying banned substances to bandits.
In a press release issued by the Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi on Sunday, April 20, 2025, the NDLEA disclosed that 500 grams of cocaine hidden in 20 parcels were found within the pages of religious books at a courier company in Lagos on Tuesday, April 15. The shipment was heading to Saudi Arabia and was detected by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) during a routine cargo screening.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives also intercepted 2.8 kilograms of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, in a carton sent from the United States at another Lagos-based courier facility.
In a separate operation in Kano, a 22-year-old drug courier identified as Muhammad Mohammed was arrested while heading to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injections tied to his thighs and private part. NDLEA described him as a supplier to bandits operating in the region. Another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was caught with 30kg of skunk in the Nasarawa area of Kano.
A major bust in Bayelsa State led to the recovery of over 563kg of various illicit substances, including skunk, methamphetamine, and heroin, in a residential warehouse in Yenagoa. Four suspects—Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis, Roland Prosper, Sarimiye Tare Paul, and Fidelis Ugbesla—were arrested during the raid.
Read Also:
Further in Lagos, operatives seized 1,100kg of skunk from a delivery van in Surulere and arrested the driver, Ismail Abdullahi, on April 17.
In Zaria, Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives stormed the hideout of 30-year-old suspect Ike Ani on April 18, recovering 31,950 pills of tramadol and diazepam.
Another bust occurred along Bagudo road in Kebbi State, where 97kg of skunk concealed in charcoal sacks from Benin Republic was uncovered. Three suspects were taken into custody.
The crackdown extended to Anambra and Osun States. In Anambra, 48-year-old Okafor Marcel was apprehended with 11.5kg of skunk, while in Osogbo, Osun State, 27-year-old Ajala Mercy was arrested with 43 litres of skushi—a local cocktail of cannabis, opioids, and black currant.
NDLEA operatives also raided and destroyed two cannabis farms spanning nearly 1.5 hectares in Egbeta forest, Edo State. A total of 3,717kg of the psychoactive plant was destroyed and 136.5kg of processed cannabis recovered.
At the Tincan seaport, a long-wanted suspect, Basorun Usman Kayode, 40, was arrested in connection with a 2023 seizure of 107kg of Loud from Canada. Another suspect, Dauda Yakubu, a known drug distributor in the area, was also apprehended.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign continued nationwide, targeting schools, markets, and motor parks to spread awareness about the dangers of substance abuse.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the diligence of officers across various commands for striking a balance between drug supply suppression and demand reduction. He specifically commended efforts by operatives in DOGI, Kano, Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Edo, and Tincan ports.
