NDLEA Arrests Fugitive Drug Queen, Recovers ₦5bn Cocaine in Lagos Children’s Room

NDLEA Arrests Fugitive Drug Queen, Recovers ₦5bn Cocaine in Lagos Children’s Room

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a fugitive drug syndicate leader, Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, and recovered 23.5 kilograms of cocaine worth over ₦5 billion from her Lagos residence, intensifying Nigeria’s war against illicit drugs.

In a statement on Sunday, the Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said Simbiat had been on the run since May 2024 following the dismantling of a major cocaine trafficking cartel operating across Lagos, Ogun and Ghana.

Babafemi explained that the cartel, led by a couple — Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda — was smashed about 20 months ago by operatives of a special NDLEA operations unit.

According to him, Lookman and Toheebat were arrested on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at Ibiye along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, while attempting to cross the land border into Ghana to deliver a cocaine consignment.

“At the point of arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were recovered from them,” Babafemi said.

He added that a follow-up raid on their residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC Extension, Petedo Road, Agbara, Ogun State, led to the seizure of eight additional blocks weighing 10 kilograms, bringing the total to 57.5 kilograms of cocaine.

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Babafemi said NDLEA operatives sustained intelligence-led surveillance to dismantle the entire trans-border drug trafficking organisation (DTO), leading to the identification of Simbiat, a 39-year-old female stash keeper, as a key member.

“As a result, she was trailed to her residence at 31 Onasanya Street, Surulere, Lagos, where she was arrested on Tuesday, December 9, 2025,” he said.

The statement added: “A thorough search of her home led to the discovery of 23.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a black suitcase recovered from her children’s room. She admitted ownership of the drug consignment, valued at over ₦5 billion in street value.”

Meanwhile, Babafemi disclosed that NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, December 18, intercepted a 36-year-old businessman, Nwanwene Robinson Destiny, with 1,020 pills of tramadol (225mg) and tapentadol (200mg) hidden in his luggage while attempting to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.

He said the suspect claimed the drugs would have earned him €200 upon delivery in Italy.

In another operation at the Seme border, Badagry, NDLEA officers arrested a 48-year-old Beninoise, Leocardi Josu, with 3,400 tablets of tramadol 225mg on the same day.

Also, a suspect, Abdullahi Adamu (30), was arrested along the Okene–Lokoja highway with 28.4kg of skunk and Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, on Friday, December 19.

In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives recovered 125,000 capsules of tramadol and 1,800 ampoules of pentazocine injections from a Toyota Hiace bus along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, while two suspects — Ogunlade Kazeem (54) and Adeleke Ismail (30) — were arrested with 185.4kg of skunk at Challenge Motor Park, Ibadan.

Similarly, a raid on the Owena/Ijesha forest in Osun State yielded 405kg of skunk, with a suspect, Charles James (45), arrested. Another suspect, Jamilu Zakari (42), was nabbed with 14,960 tramadol pills concealed in kolanut sacks along the Abuja–Kaduna highway.

Babafemi said NDLEA commands nationwide also sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.

Commending the officers involved, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged personnel to remain vigilant during the festive season and maintain the highest standards of professionalism in all drug supply and demand reduction efforts.

NDLEA Arrests Fugitive Drug Queen, Recovers ₦5bn Cocaine in Lagos Children’s Room