By Kingsley Omonobi
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, a wanted leader of a drug syndicate, who had been in hiding since May 2024 following the arrest of two other kingpins, Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinja Toheebat Dauda.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said Simbiat was apprehended at her Lagos residence, where officers recovered 23.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in her children’s room.
The drugs are valued at over ¦ 5 billion in street value.
Babafemi recalled that in May 2024, Lookman and Toheebat were arrested while attempting to cross into Ghana with 47.5 kilograms of cocaine. Subsequent raids in Ogun State recovered an additional 10 kilograms, bringing the total seizure from the couple to 57.5 kilograms.
“Following extensive surveillance, Simbiat was identified as a key member of the syndicate and arrested on December 9, 2025, at her Surulere residence,” Babafemi said.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, intercepted 36-year-old businessman Nwanwene Robinson Destiny attempting to board a flight to Milan with 1,020 tramadol and tapentadol pills. At the Seme border in Badagry, a 48-year-old Beninese woman, Leocardi Josu, was arrested with 3,400 tramadol tablets.
Other significant seizures include Abdullahi Adamu, 30, caught with 28.4kg of skunk (cannabis) along Okene/Lokoja highway, 125,000 tramadol capsules and 1,800 pentazocine ampoules recovered from a bus along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ogunlade Kazeem, 54, and Adeleke Ismail, 30, arrested with 185.4kg skunk in Ibadan, 405kg skunk seized in Owena/Ijesha forest, Osun State, with suspect Charles James, 45, arrested.
, Jamilu Zakari, 42, apprehended with 14,960 tramadol pills on Abuja-Kaduna highway.
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