The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
has dismantled two major cocaine syndicates operating across Lagos
State, leading to the arrest of six suspects, including the alleged
kingpin, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode, who claimed to be a businessman and
real estate developer.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi disclosed this in
a statement on Sunday, detailing that the operations were carried out over a
three-week period beginning September 16, 2025.
According to Babafemi, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala
Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted 174
parcels of cocaine weighing 13.4 kilograms hidden inside cocoa butter
body cream containers.
“The drugs were cleverly concealed in stainless cups,
hair gel, and body cream containers,” Babafemi revealed.
“Following the interception, a cargo agent was arrested, and further
investigations traced the consignment to the suspected kingpin, Alhaji Hammed
Ode.”
Kingpin Arrested After Weeks of
Intelligence Operations
The NDLEA said the operation to capture Ode required
weeks of intelligence gathering and coordination with the Nigeria Police
Force.
Babafemi explained that Ode was apprehended after
NDLEA operatives discovered he had earlier reported a dispute at Zone 2
Police Headquarters in Lagos, prompting the Agency to seek police
assistance for his arrest.
During interrogation, Ode confessed ownership of
the seized cocaine, admitting that he purchased it for over ?150 million.
He also revealed that he had lived abroad for over 27 years in countries
including Austria, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the
United Kingdom, before returning to Nigeria in 2024.
“The suspect claimed to be a businessman and estate
developer,” Babafemi said, adding that the arrest marks the end of a
transnational cocaine trafficking network operating from Lagos to the UK.
More Arrests and Cocaine Seizures Linked
to UK Shipments
Babafemi further disclosed that two other suspects, Ogunbiyi
Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa, were also arrested
after NDLEA officers intercepted two cocaine-laden consignments destined
for the United Kingdom.
The shipments, intercepted on October 2, 2025,
were found concealed in crayfish packs and stainless cups, weighing 2.6
kilograms in total.
“One consignment contained crayfish and 12 stainless
cups used to conceal 1.00kg of cocaine, while another contained crayfish and 36
hair cream containers used to hide 1.60kg of cocaine,” Babafemi stated.
NDLEA’s Ongoing War Against Drug
Trafficking
The NDLEA, Nigeria’s lead agency in the fight against drug
trafficking and abuse, has in recent years intensified operations against international
drug cartels using Nigeria as a transit point.
The agency has recorded several high-profile drug
busts involving shipments concealed in everyday goods such as food
items, cosmetics, and industrial materials.
Babafemi reaffirmed that the NDLEA, under the
leadership of Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), remains committed
to dismantling drug networks and bringing all offenders to justice.
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