Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, as he attempted to flee to Saudi Arabia for Umrah pilgrimage.
The 40-year-old suspect, who had earlier jumped bail in the United Kingdom where he was charged with drug-related offences, was caught by officers of the agency’s Special Operations Unit after months of intelligence tracking and surveillance.
According to a statement on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Azeez had established a large-scale clandestine laboratory in the Lekki area of Lagos for the production of Colorado—a potent synthetic cannabis—and other illicit substances.
Babafemi said Azeez was apprehended around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 6, 2025, as he prepared to board a flight to Saudi Arabia. He was immediately taken to his secret lab located at 17 Vincent Eku Street, Ogombo, Lekki, which had been under surveillance. Another suspect, Abideen Kekere-Ekun, 43, was also arrested at the scene.
Inside the facility, operatives from the Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring dismantled laboratory equipment, recovered precursor chemicals, and seized 148.3 kilograms of already-produced Colorado and other substances.
In a separate joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, NDLEA officers discovered 105.5kg of “Molly” (a designer drug) and 500 grams of methamphetamine during the inspection of a shipment at the Sifax Bonded Terminal, Okota, Lagos, on Friday, November 7.
The agency also recorded major drug interceptions across several states:
In Niger State, operatives arrested Ibrahim Mohammed, 35, with 87,000 tramadol pills and 72kg of cannabis along the Kainji-Wawa Road.
In Taraba, Felix Tanko Chinedu, 28, was nabbed with 15,020 tramadol capsules at Kasuwabera ATC, Ardo Kola LGA.
In Kogi State, officers recovered 7.6kg of “Loud” and 175,000 opioid pills following an operation along the Okene/Lokoja highway and a follow-up raid in Abuja.
Along the Abuja/Kaduna tollgate, three suspects—Olayide Oyidiran (39), Abdulsalam Abdulsalam (28), and Opeyemi Tijjani (39)—were arrested with 769kg of skunk concealed in a truck heading to Kano.
A 73-year-old man, James Ugbedo, was caught at a cannabis plantation in Etsako East LGA, Edo State, where 1,459.75kg of skunk was destroyed.
In Bayelsa State, a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Comfort Odudu, was arrested with 5kg of cannabis in Yenagoa.
Babafemi added that NDLEA formations nationwide also intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns across schools, religious centres, transport unions, and communities.
Commending the officers for their efforts, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), hailed the series of successful operations, emphasizing that the agency remains resolute in its mission to rid the country of illicit drugs.
“The dismantling of yet another clandestine laboratory for the production of Colorado and the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, coming barely a week after similar actions in Ajao Estate, show that these are only the first of many strikes against merchants of death who prey on the weak in our communities,” Marwa said.
He vowed that the agency, working with both local and international partners, would continue to hunt down and prosecute all individuals involved in drug production and trafficking across Nigeria.