NDLEA Seizes Cocaine at Apapa Port, Arrests 22 Indian Crew Members, Nab Female Drug Baron in Ibadan
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded major breakthroughs in its nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking, intercepting hard drugs concealed in coffee sachets and parcels bound for Europe and Southern Africa, arresting 22 Indian crew members over a cocaine shipment at the Apapa seaport, and apprehending a long-wanted female drug kingpin in Ibadan.
The Agency said operatives at a courier company in Lagos intercepted consignments of Ketamine, Ecstasy and Tramadol pills ingeniously hidden in sachets of coffee mix and book parcels destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom. The seizures were made on December 24 and 29, 2025, following credible intelligence and meticulous tracking of the consignments.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives on Friday, January 2, 2026, arrested 22 Indian nationals, including the Master of a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, after 31.5 kilograms of cocaine were discovered concealed in hatch three of the ship at the GDNL terminal, Apapa port, Lagos.
The vessel, which originated from the Marshall Islands, was thoroughly searched by operatives who uncovered the illicit drug consignment. Those taken into custody include the ship’s Master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and 21 crew members: Bharati Manoj Kumar, Bhalerao Nilesh Mukund, Nadar Anthony Macson David, Kolusu Srinivasa Rao, Sagar Gaurav, Francis Anto Beemas Nester, Jagdeep Singh, Jai Parkash, Prabhukhan Singh, Nevage Sandesh Suresh, Pandey Prashant, Nittu Anand, Akash Babu, Dasari Raju, Reddy Nandika Sanjeeba, Rana Nivesh, Melethil Insaf Rahman, Barla Chantanya Krishna, Ghosh Arijit, Mondal Raihan and Gangwar Shiv Om.
Meanwhile, in Oyo State, NDLEA operatives on Monday, December 29, 2025, arrested a wanted female drug baron, Fatima Ilori, popularly known as “Mama Kerosine,” during an intelligence-led operation in Ibadan. The 65-year-old grandmother, described as a major distributor of illicit drugs in the state capital, was apprehended at the Onireke/Elekuro area alongside another suspect, Olusanya Abosede, 35. The arrest followed the seizure of 238.4 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, linked to the suspects.
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In the North-East, the Agency said it further disrupted the supply of illicit drugs to insurgents in Borno State with the arrest of two suspected drug suppliers and the seizure of large consignments of opioids. One of the suspects, Isa Mohammed, 26, was arrested along the Maiduguri–Gamboru Ngala road on Friday, January 2, 2026, with 9,150 ampoules of Tramadol injection, while another suspect, Musa Samaila, 30, was nabbed the same day at Biu market with 34,000 capsules of Tramadol.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives recovered not less than 400 kilograms of skunk along with a van at the Mobolaji Johnson area of Lagos on New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1, 2026. In Jigawa State, a suspect, Bilya Ibrahim, 39, was arrested at a motor park in Hadejia on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, while attempting to transport 260 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 140.8 kilograms from Taraba State to Nguru in Yobe State.
In Kwara State, NDLEA officers on Tuesday, December 30, recovered 238.5 kilograms of skunk from the residence of a suspect at Asadam area of Ilorin. The Agency also seized a total of 32,000 pills of Tramadol and Diazepam from another suspect, Abubakar Rabiu, 32, at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country sustained advocacy efforts under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. Sensitisation activities during the week included enlightenment lectures at Madrasatu Fadimatul Zahra, Sabuwar Abuja, Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State; engagement with members of the Topo Youth Progressive Organisation in Badagry, Lagos; and community outreach at the palace of the Hakimi of Madalla in Niger State.
Commending officers and men of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), Apapa, Oyo, Borno, Lagos, Kwara and Jigawa commands for their professionalism and dedication, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), urged them and their colleagues nationwide to intensify ongoing drug control and demand reduction efforts.
The Agency reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks, protecting communities and safeguarding Nigeria from the far-reaching consequences of substance abuse and illicit drug trade.
By PRNigeria
