The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a sophisticated drug distribution network disguising illicit substances as imported Christmas cookies and snacks. Two masterminds behind the syndicate, Deji Adesanya and Olubiyi Majekodunmi, were arrested after operatives raided their hideout in the Ikate area of Lekki, Lagos.
According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the arrest followed credible intelligence on the group’s operations, which involved selling psychoactive substances through a WhatsApp platform. During the raid on Saturday, 22nd November 2025, officers recovered a large quantity of designer packaging materials and 5kg of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.
In another Lagos operation, a 38-year-old drug kingpin, Philip Ucheka, was arrested on Thursday, 27th November, while taking delivery of 110 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 55.6kg in the Ladipo area of Mushin. NDLEA operatives also seized three delivery vehicles from him.
Similarly, drugs concealed in unusual items were intercepted at courier facilities in Lagos. Officers recovered 100 grams of Loud hidden in a teddy bear imported from Thailand, and 548 capsules of tramadol concealed in Vitamin C and Magnesium bottles bound for the United Kingdom.
Across other states, NDLEA operatives recorded multiple breakthroughs:
- Oyo State: A suspect, Wasiu Kareem, 55, was arrested along the Lagos–Ibadan expressway with 8,000 ampoules of pentazocine, 590 bottles of codeine syrup, 1,500 Co-codamol pills, and 9,900 tramadol capsules.
- Ondo State: Seven suspects were arrested at Ipe Forest, Akoko South East, where 3,077kg of skunk was recovered.
- Kogi State: Anthony Sylvester, 49, was intercepted with 649kg of skunk along the Okene–Lokoja highway.
- Badagry, Lagos: A warehouse at Ashipa, Seme border, was raided, leading to the arrest of Abubakar Shuaibu, 33, with 487 blocks of skunk weighing 243.5kg.
- Kano and Bauchi States: Multiple suspects were arrested with a combined haul of over 340kg of skunk, alongside the seizure of a black Toyota Highlander used for transportation.
- Kaduna and Abuja: A couple, Abdullahi Abubakar and Jamila Abdullahi, were arrested with 725 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed in a sack of maize, while another suspect, Awwal Sabiu, 20, was caught with 400 rounds at the Abuja–Kaduna tollgate.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns across the country, visiting schools, worship centres, ports, and communities.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended officers for their efforts and urged them to sustain the balanced strategy in the nation’s drug control operations.