The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided a major warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu, Lagos State, and seized 1.8tons (1,855kgs) of crack cocaine worth over $278, 250,000, or about N194, 775,000,000 in street value.
The NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said on Monday in Abuja that the seizures appear to be the largest single cocaine seizure in the agency’s history.
According to him, at least four drug lords, including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager, were apprehended over the course of two days in various locations throughout Lagos State.
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“Kingpins of the cocaine cartel in custody include: 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.
“They are all members of an international drug syndicate that the agency has been trailing since 2018,” Babafemi said.
Located at 6 Olukuola crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu, the warehouse was raided on Sunday 18th September, 2022, while the barons were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between Sunday night and Monday 19th September.
Preliminary investigation reveals 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.
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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 (Retd) 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 and stop their illicit drug trafficking.
