January 04, (THEWILL) — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded major breakthroughs against international and domestic drug trafficking networks, intercepting illicit drugs concealed in coffee sachets, arresting a wanted female drug kingpin in Ibadan, and detaining 22 Indian nationals over a 31.5kg cocaine seizure at the Apapa port in Lagos.
In a statement signed on Sunday, January 4, 2026, by the NDLEA Spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, it was revealed that assorted quantities of Ketamine, Ecstasy, and Tramadol pills were discovered hidden in sachets of coffee mix and book parcels destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom.
These seizures were made at a courier company in Lagos between December 24 and December 29, 2025.
The discoveries coincided with the arrest of 22 Indian crew members of a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, following the seizure of 31.5kg of cocaine concealed in “hatch three” of the ship at the GDNL terminal, Apapa port, on Friday, January 2, 2026.
The vessel, originating from the Marshall Islands, remains in custody along with the Master of the vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and 21 other crew members.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives on Monday, December 29, 2025, arrested a wanted female drug kingpin, 65-year-old Fatima Ilori, popularly known as “Mama Kerosine,” during an intelligence-led operation in Ibadan.
Described as a major distributor of illicit drugs in the state capital, she was apprehended alongside 35-year-old Olusanya Abosede in the Onireke/Elekuro area.
The arrest followed the seizure of 238.4kg of “skunk,” a potent strain of cannabis, linked to the suspects.
The Agency also disrupted drug supply routes to insurgents in Borno State with the arrest of two suspects on January 2, 2026. Isa Mohammed was intercepted along the Maiduguri–Gamboru Ngala road with 9,150 ampoules of Tramadol injection, while Musa Samaila was apprehended at Biu market with 34,000 capsules of Tramadol.
In Lagos, operatives recovered not less than 400kg of skunk along with a van in the Mobolaji Johnson area on New Year’s Day.
In Jigawa State, Bilya Ibrahim was arrested in Hadejia while attempting to transport 140.8kg of skunk from Taraba to Yobe State.
Additionally, in Kwara State, officers recovered 238.5kg of skunk in Ilorin and arrested Abubakar Rabiu with 32,000 pills of Tramadol and Diazepam on New Year’s Eve.
Commending the various commands and the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), NDLEA Chairman Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) urged personnel to sustain the momentum of the “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) sensitisation campaigns to protect communities from the menace of illicit substances.
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