Twenty months after the initial dismantling of a major cocaine trafficking cartel, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended another key leader of the syndicate, Shodunke Simbiat (also known as Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat). She had reportedly been in hiding since May 2024 but was eventually arrested at her Lagos residence on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, where an additional 23.5 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from her children’s room. The seized consignment alone is estimated to be worth over ₦5 billion in street value, and Simbiat has admitted ownership of the drugs.

The cartel, originally led by a couple, Toheebat Dauda and Lookman Dauda (also identified as Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda), was first disrupted on Saturday, May 25, 2024. NDLEA operatives from the Special Operations Unit arrested the couple at Ibiye, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, as they attempted to cross the land border into Ghana to deliver a drug consignment. At the point of arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found in their possession. A follow-up operation at their residence on Plot 24/25 OPIC Extension, Petedo Road, Agbara, Ogun State, led to the recovery of an additional eight blocks of cocaine weighing 10 kilograms, bringing the total seizure from the couple to 57.5 kilograms of cocaine.

Following the initial breakthrough, the NDLEA sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance on the trans-border drug trafficking network, efforts that ultimately led to the identification and arrest of Shodunke Simbiat, a 39-year-old female stash keeper. Her arrest represents a significant milestone in dismantling the syndicate and bringing all its key operatives to justice.

In related clampdowns across the country, NDLEA operatives recorded several other major arrests and seizures, At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, a 36-year-old businessman, Nwanwene Destiny, was intercepted with 1,020 pills of tramadol 225mg and tapentadol 200mg concealed in his luggage while attempting to board a flight to Milan, Italy. He reportedly confessed that he was to receive €200 upon successful delivery.

At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, 48-year-old Beninoise national Leocardi Josu was arrested with 3,400 tablets of tramadol 225mg while attempting to enter Nigeria. Along the Okene–Lokoja highway, Abdullahi Adamu, 30, was apprehended with 28.4 kilograms of skunk and Colorado, both cannabis variants.

Further operations in Oyo State resulted in the recovery of 125,000 capsules of tramadol and 1,800 ampoules of pentazocine injection from a Toyota Hiace bus along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Additionally, two suspects, Ogunlade Kazeem, 54, and Adeleke Ismail, 30, were arrested with 185.4 kilograms of skunk at Challenge Motor Park, Ibadan. In Osun State, a raid at Owena/Ijesha Forest led to the seizure of 405 kilograms of skunk and the arrest of Charles James, 45. Meanwhile, Jamilu Zakari, 42, was apprehended at a tollgate along the Abuja-Kaduna highway with 14,960 pills of tramadol 225mg, concealed in two kola nut sacks en route from Abuja to Gusau, Zamfara State.

The NDLEA’s nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign also continued actively, reaching schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities across the country. Commending the officers, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised personnel of the Special Operations Unit, MMIA, Seme, Kogi, Kaduna, Oyo, and Osun Commands for their professionalism, vigilance, and operational dexterity. He further urged all NDLEA personnel nationwide to remain extra vigilant during the festive season and to uphold the highest standards in both drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.