NDLEA Intercepts Illicit Drugs Concealed in Coffee Sachets, Arrests Wanted Female Trafficker in Ibadan 

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted various quantities of illicit substances, including ketamine, ecstasy, and tramadol pills, concealed in sachets of coffee mix and a book parcel destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom.

The seizures were made at a Lagos-based courier company on December 24 and 29, 2025.

This development followed the arrest of 22 Indian crew members of a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, after 31.5 kilograms of cocaine were discovered in hatch three of the ship at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos, on Friday, January 2, 2026. The vessel originated from the Marshall Islands.

The disclosure was contained in a statement made available to ThelensNG by the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.

Babafemi revealed those in connection with the seizure, including the Master of the Vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and 21 other crew members — Bharati Manoj Kumar, Bhalerao Nilesh Mukund, Nadar Anthony Macson David, Kolusu Srinivasa Rao, Sagar Gaurav, and Francis Anto Beemas Nester.

Others are Jagdeep Singh, Jai Parkash, Prabhukhan Singh, Nevage Sandesh Suresh, Pandey Prashant, Nittu Anand, Akash Babu, Dasari Raju, Reddy Nandika Sanjeeba, Rana Nivesh, Melethil Insaf Rahman, Barla Chantanya Krishna, Ghosh Arijit, Mondal Raihan, and Gangwar Shiv Om.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Oyo State on Monday, December 29, 2025, arrested a wanted female drug kingpin who is a major illicit drug distributor in Ibadan, the state capital.

The 65-year-old grandma, Fatima Ilori, popularly known as Mama Kerosine was nabbed in an intelligence-led operation following the seizure of 238.4kg skunk (a strain of cannabis) linked to her. She was arrested alongside another female suspect Olusanya Abosede, 35, at Onireke/Elekuro area of Ibadan.

In Borno State, the supply chain of illicit drugs to insurgents was further disrupted with the arrest of two suppliers and seizure of large consignments of illicit substances.

While one of the suspects, Isa Mohammed, 26, was arrested by NDLEA operatives following the interception of 9,150 ampoules of Tramadol Injection along Maiduguri-Gamboru Ngala road on Friday, January 2, 2026, the other suspect Musa Samaila, 30, was nabbed with 34,000 capsules of Tramadol at Biu market same day.

No fewer than 400kg skunk was recovered along with a van at Mobolaji Johnson area of Lagos on new year day, Thursday, January 1, while a suspect Bilya Ibrahim, 39, was arrested at a motor park in Hadejia town, Jigawa State, on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 while trying to transport 260 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 140.8kg, which he procured from Taraba State to Nguru, Yobe State.

The statement added: “In Kwara State, NDLEA officers on Tuesday, December 30 recovered 238.50kg skunk from the home of a suspect at Asadam area of Ilorin, while a total of 32,000 pills of tramadol and diazepam were seized from another suspect Abubakar Rabiu, 32, at Bode Saadu, Morro LGA, on new year eve, Wednesday, December 31, 2025.”

In the same vein, the Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places, communities, and other places in the past week.

The activities included WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Madrasatu Fadimatul Zahra Sabuwar Abuja Kankia, Kankia LGA, Katsina; members of Topo Youth Progressive Organisation, Topo Badagry, Lagos; and residents of Madalla community at the palace of Hakimi Madalla, Niger State, among others.

Reacting to the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and men of DOGI, Apapa, Oyo, Borno, Lagos, Kwara, and Jigawa Commands for their commitment and professionalism.

Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the ongoing drug control efforts of the Agency.