The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 22 Indian crew members of a merchant vessel at the Apapa seaport in Lagos following the seizure of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed on board the ship.
The arrests followed a major operation by NDLEA operatives at the GDNL terminal, Apapa port when the cocaine was discovered hidden inside hatch three of the vessel, MV *Aruna Hulya*. The ship, which originated from the Marshall Islands, was immediately secured, leading to the detention of the entire crew.
Those taken into custody include the Master of the vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, alongside 21 other crew members: Bharati Manoj Kumar, Bhalerao Nilesh Mukund, Nadar Anthony Macson David, Kolusu Srinivasa Rao, Sagar Gaurav, Francis Anto Beemas Nester, Jagdeep Singh, Jai Parkash, Prabhukhan Singh, Nevage Sandesh Suresh, Pandey Prashant, Nittu Anand, Akash Babu, Dasari Raju, Reddy Nandika Sanjeeba, Rana Nivesh, Melethil Insaf Rahman, Barla Chantanya Krishna, Ghosh Arijit, Mondal Raihan and Gangwar Shiv Om. Investigations are ongoing to determine the source and intended distribution network of the illicit consignment.
The seizure at the Lagos port disclosed by Sunday by the Agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, came amid a string of nationwide interdictions by the Agency. In Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted consignments of Ketamine, Ecstasy and Tramadol pills concealed in sachets of coffee mix and book parcels destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom. The seizures were made at a courier company on December 24 and 29, 2025.
In Oyo State, NDLEA officers on Monday, December 29, arrested a long-wanted female drug kingpin, 65-year-old Fatima Ilori, popularly known as “Mama Kerosine.” She was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation in Ibadan after 238.4 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, were linked to her. Another suspect, Olusanya Abosede, 35, was also arrested at the Onireke/Elekuro area of the state capital.
The Agency also recorded significant breakthroughs in Borno State, disrupting drug supply chains linked to insurgents. On Friday, January 2, 2026, operatives arrested Isa Mohammed, 26, along the Maiduguri–Gamboru Ngala road with 9,150 ampoules of Tramadol injection. On the same day, Musa Samaila, 30, was arrested at Biu market with 34,000 capsules of Tramadol.
Further seizures were recorded across the country. In Lagos, no fewer than 400 kilograms of skunk and a van were recovered at the Mobolaji Johnson area on New Year’s Day. In Jigawa State, a suspect, Bilya Ibrahim, 39, was arrested at a motor park in Hadejia on December 30, 2025, while attempting to transport 260 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 140.8 kilograms from Taraba State to Nguru, Yobe State.
In Kwara State, NDLEA officers recovered 238.5 kilograms of skunk from a suspect’s residence at the Asadam area of Ilorin on December 30. Another suspect, Abubakar Rabiu, 32, was arrested at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area on December 31 with 32,000 pills of Tramadol and Diazepam.
Beyond enforcement, the Agency sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign nationwide, reaching schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities. Recent outreach activities included enlightenment lectures at Madrasatu Fadimatul Zahra Sabuwar Abuja Kankia in Katsina State, engagement with members of the Topo Youth Progressive Organisation in Badagry, Lagos, and a community advocacy visit to Madalla in Niger State.
Commending the officers and men of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) and the Apapa, Oyo, Borno, Lagos, Kwara and Jigawa Commands, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), urged personnel across the country to intensify ongoing drug control efforts.
He reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks, safeguarding Nigeria’s borders and ports, and protecting communities from the devastating effects of illicit drugs.
