……. Agency Intercepts Italy-Bound Opioids, Nabs Businessman and Beninoise National in Raids
In its relentless mission to purge Nigeria of narcotics, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dealt a decisive blow to a persistent cocaine trafficking syndicate. Barely twenty months after the high-profile arrest of cartel leaders Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda across Lagos and Ogun—resulting in multi-billion-naira seizures—operatives have apprehended another key figure who had been a fugitive since May 2024.
Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, a high-ranking member of the syndicate, was nabbed at her Lagos residence. During the operation, an additional 23.50 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from her children’s bedroom.
The details of this breakthrough were confirmed in a statement released Sunday, December 21, 2025, by Femi Babafemi, the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy.
In a comprehensive statement detailing the operation, the NDLEA confirmed the precise chronology of events leading to the initial arrests.
“The kingpin Lookman and his queen Toheebat were arrested on Saturday 25th May 2024 by operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA at Ibiye, along Lagos-Badagry expressway while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana.
”At the point of their arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on them. A swift follow up operation in their residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun state, led to the recovery of additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the total weight of the consignment seized from the couple to 57.5 kilograms.”
The Agency continues with its determination to “rein in every member of the syndicate.” Following the initial crackdown, “the NDLEA operatives continued with follow-up intelligence and surveillance on the trans-border drug trafficking organization until a 39-year-old female stash keeper, Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, was identified as a key member of the DTO.”
This persistence paid off when “she was trailed to her 31 Onasanya Street, Surulere, Lagos residence on Tuesday, 9th December 2025.” Upon arrival, “a thorough search of her home led to the discovery of blocks of cocaine weighing 23.50 kilograms concealed in a black suitcase recovered from her children’s room.” Confronted with the evidence, “she admitted ownership of the drug consignment worth over N5 billion in street value.”
In a separate enforcement success, “NDLEA operatives attached to terminal II departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos on Thursday 18th December intercepted a 36-year-old businessman Nwanwene Robinson Destiny.” The suspect was found “with a total of 1,020 pills of tramadol 225mg and tapentadol 200mg concealed in his luggage while attempting to board a Royal Air-Maroc flight to Milan, Italy where he’s based.”
Following his arrest, the Italy-based businessman “claimed the successful trafficking of the opioids to Italy would have fetched him Two Hundred Euros (€200.00) from the person he was to deliver them to.”
The NDLEA’s vigilance extended to the nation’s land borders, precisely the prominent Seme border in the Badagry area of Lagos. The official statement affirmed that “a 48-year-old Beninoise, Leocardi Josu, was on Thursday 18th December arrested by NDLEA officers while attempting to cross into Nigeria with 3,400 tablets of tramadol 225mg.”
The NDLEA’s success story for the country continued in Kogi State, where the Agency confirmed a significant highway interception. Specifically, “another suspect, Abdullahi Adamu, 30, was nabbed along Okene/Lokoja highway with 28.400kg skunk, a strain of cannabis and Colorado, a synthetic cannabis on Friday 19th December.”
Similarly, the offensive against drug trafficking intensified in Oyo State. On the same day, “NDLEA operatives on Friday 19th December recovered 125,000 capsules of tramadol and 1,800 ampoules of pentazocine injection in a Toyota Hiace bus marked XD 592 AWL along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.” This followed another successful sting where “two suspects: Ogunlade Kazeem, 54, and Adeleke Ismail, 30, were arrested with 185.4 kilograms of skunk at Challenge motor park, Ibadan, on Wednesday 17th December.”8
Demonstrating their relentless reach, NDLEA operatives beamed their eagle eye on the Ijesha/Owena forest and critical highways to disrupt supply chains. The agency confirmed that “a total of 405kg skunk was seized when NDLEA operatives raided Owena/Ijesha forest in Osun state where a suspect Charles James, 45, was nabbed on Friday 19th December.”
Simultaneously, the Agency’s highway interdiction yielded results as “another suspect Jamilu Zakari, 42, was arrested with 14,960 pills of tramadol 225mg at tollgate, along Abuja – Kaduna highway same day.” In a sophisticated attempt to evade detection, “the consignment of opioids was concealed in two kolanut sacks (huhun goro) coming from Abuja to Gusau, Zamfara state.”
The agency remains committed to proactive advocacy, sustaining its “War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization” across all Commands. These impactful weekly activities featured: “WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of secondary schools in Anambra at Women Development Centre, Awka; Youth Craft Village, Malumfashi, Katsina and members of NURTW in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state, among others.”
Expressing his satisfaction, the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), “commended the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, MMIA, Seme, Kogi, Kaduna, Oyo and Osun Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity.”
To ensure security remains airtight, Marwa “enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to remain extra vigilant during the festive season and ensure that highest standard of professionalism is maintained in all their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities all through the period and beyond.”
