Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have busted a major warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu area of Lagos where 1.8tons (1,855 kilograms) of cocaine worth more than Two Hundred and Seventy-Eight Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($278, 250,000), that’s about One Hundred and Ninety-Four Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Five Million (N194, 775,000,000) Naira were seized.
This seems to be the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria by the agency.
What happened?
The warehouse which was located at No. 6 Olukuola Crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, was raided on Sunday 18th September, 2022, while at least five persons, of which 4 of them are reported to be drug barons, were arrested.
The four drug barons including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager were arrested in a well-coordinated and intelligence led operation that lasted two days across different locations in the State.
How it happened
The drug Kingpins were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between Sunday night and Monday 19th September.
Who are they?
The Kingpins of the cocaine cartel includes: Messrs Soji Jibril, 69, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo State; Emmanuel Chukwu, 65, who hails from Ekwulobia, Anambra State; Wasiu Akinade, 53, from Ibadan, Oyo State; Sunday Oguntelure, 53, from Okitipupa, Ondo State and Kelvin Smith, 42, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, all members of an international drug syndicate that the agency has been trailing since 2018.
Preliminary investigations reveal the Class A drugs were warehoused in the residential estate from where the cartel was trying to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world.They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums.
While commending all the officers and men of the agency involved in the extensive investigation including those of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the bust is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they will all go down if they fail to realise that the game has changed.
