The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully dismantled two major drug trafficking cartels responsible for six separate cocaine shipments bound for the United Kingdom. The operations, which spanned three weeks across various parts of Lagos, led to the arrest of six suspects, including the alleged kingpin, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the first breakthrough occurred on September 16, 2025, when operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos intercepted 174 parcels of cocaine, weighing 13.4 kilograms, concealed in containers of cocoa butter body cream. Further investigations revealed that the drug syndicates had employed various concealment methods, hiding the narcotics in stainless steel cups, body cream, and hair gel containers.
A cargo agent was arrested in connection with the seizure, and intelligence gathered during interrogation linked the shipment to Ode. With the cooperation of the police, NDLEA operatives tracked and arrested him. During questioning, Ode confessed to owning the drugs, stating that he had purchased them for over ₦150 million.
“In a series of intelligence-led operations carried out over three weeks, NDLEA operatives successfully dismantled two major drug cartels behind six separate cocaine consignments concealed in stainless cups, body cream, and hair gel containers,” Babafemi said.
He described Hammed Taofeek Ode, who poses as a businessman and real estate developer, as the leader of one of the cartels. Ode had reportedly returned to Nigeria in 2024 after spending over 27 years in several countries, including Austria, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, where he eventually settled.
Babafemi also disclosed the arrest of two additional suspects, Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa, after NDLEA operatives intercepted two more drug consignments on October 2, 2025, at MMIA. These consignments, also headed for the UK, were hidden in crayfish packages and stainless steel cups.
- One package contained 1.00 kg of cocaine concealed in 12 stainless cups.
- The other included 1.60 kg of cocaine hidden in 36 hair cream containers.
In total, the six intercepted consignments represent a significant disruption of a transnational drug trafficking operation.
The NDLEA, Nigeria’s federal anti-narcotics agency, has continued to intensify its efforts to combat drug trafficking, distribution, and abuse. Over the years, the agency has made numerous high-profile seizures, particularly those involving shipments to Europe and the UK, often involving sophisticated concealment tactics.
