NDLEA Nabs Wanted Drug Kingpin, Dismantles Lekki Synthetic Cannabis Lab
In a significant blow to narcotics trafficking, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a wanted drug lord and dismantled a clandestine laboratory in the upscale Lekki area of Lagos. The suspect, 40-year-old Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage.
A Kingpin’s Downfall
According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, the arrest was the culmination of months of meticulous intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting Azeez’s criminal network. The agency revealed that the suspect had a prior criminal history, having been arrested and charged for drug offenses in the United Kingdom before skipping bail and fleeing to Nigeria.
“Soon after settling in Lagos, he established a large secret laboratory in the Lekki area,” Babafemi stated, detailing the operation that produced Colorado, a deadly synthetic cannabis, and other illicit substances.
Dismantling the Lekki Operation
At approximately 6:30 am on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Azeez walked directly into the hands of waiting NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport. He was swiftly taken to his covert facility at 17 Vincent Eku Street, Ogombo, Lekki, which had been under close surveillance.
At the time of the arrest, authorities also detained another suspect, 43-year-old Abideen Kekere-Ekun, who was present with Azeez. Inside the massive building, specialists from the Agency’s Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring systematically dismantled all installed laboratory equipment, precursor chemicals, and finished illegal products.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 148.3 kilograms of Colorado and other synthetic drugs, effectively neutralizing a major production hub for dangerous substances in the region.
Nationwide Anti-Drug Operations
The Lekki laboratory bust was part of a broader nationwide crackdown on narcotics trafficking that yielded multiple successes across different states:
Lagos Port Interception
At the Sifax bonded terminal in Okota, Lagos, a joint operation between NDLEA, Customs Service, and other security agencies on Friday, November 7, discovered 105.5kg of Molly—a potent designer drug—and 500 grams of methamphetamine during inspection of a shipment.
Northern Operations
In Niger state, operatives intercepted 35-year-old Ibrahim Mohammed in a Volvo truck along the Kainji-Wawa road on Thursday, November 6. The vehicle contained 87,000 pills of tramadol and 72kg of skunk cannabis.
Taraba State saw multiple successful interceptions, including 34,520 capsules of tramadol hidden in various compartments of a Toyota Corolla intercepted along the Zaki-Biam-Wukari road on Monday, November 3. The driver, 25-year-old Aliyu Samaila, was arrested while transporting the opioids from Onitsha, Anambra State to Cameroon.
Highway Interceptions and Arrests
Kogi state operatives patrolling the Okene/Lokoja highway intercepted 7.600kg of Loud cannabis on Wednesday, November 5. A subsequent operation in Abuja led to the arrest of the shipment’s owner, 40-year-old Chukwunonso Anieze.
In a major highway bust at the Abuja/Kaduna tollgate, three suspects—Olayide Oyidiran (39), Abdulsalam Abdulsalam (28), and Opeyemi Tijjani (39)—were arrested on Wednesday, November 5, while transporting 769kg of skunk in a truck that had originated from Lagos and was destined for Kano.
Elderly Involvement in Drug Trade
The nationwide operations revealed surprising demographics involved in the drug trade. In Edo State, a 73-year-old grandfather, James Ugbedo, was arrested on Friday, November 7, in a cannabis plantation at Igbeshi forest. Authorities destroyed 1,459.75kg of skunk and seized an additional 5.6kg from the site.
Similarly, in Bayelsa State, a 70-year-old grandmother, Mrs. Comfort Odudu, was arrested at Onopa, Yenagoa, with 5kg of skunk on Tuesday, November 4.
Education and Enforcement Balance
Alongside enforcement actions, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities across the country. Over the past week, the agency conducted educational programs in schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities.
These included WADA lectures for students and staff of Transfiguration Seminary Secondary School in Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Day Secondary School in Sabonkasuwa, Kontagora, Niger state; and multiple other institutions across Oyo, Sokoto, Adamawa, and Kebbi states.
Leadership Commendation and Warning
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retired), praised the officers involved in the various successful operations, specifically acknowledging the Special Operations Project, the Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring, and multiple state commands.
Marwa emphasized the significance of the recent laboratory dismantlements, noting that “the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, coming just a week after similar actions were taken against another cartel in Ajao Estate, Lagos, shows that these are undoubtedly the first in a series of strikes against these merchants of death who prey on the vulnerable in our communities.”
He issued a stern warning to other drug traffickers: “Let it be known to those still hiding in the shadows that the NDLEA, supported by our local and international law enforcement partners, will continue to hunt them down and bring them to justice.”
Source: The Tide News Online