Cocaine burst: Are we missing something? 

In movies, cocaine warehouses are the most guarded illegal facilities. Sophisticated weapons with dangerous and or hefty-looking men are stationed on a 24/7 watch to ensure nobody trespasses from both law enforcement agents and rival cartels. In all the movies, there has never been a bust whether from law enforcement or rival cartels without a gun duel. 

These barons guard their warehouses with their lives; they do not mind loosing loyal gang members or loved ones as long as their warehouse and ‘products’ are safe. The focus is first on the safety of their ‘product’ before family. Those in this kind of business go all out to protect and conceal their ‘products’ and that is why their delivery men do all manner of things to hide the products just to boycott law enforcement.

On Sunday, 18^th August, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) carried out a very peaceful seizure of “what appears to be the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s premier anti-narcotics agency,” reports say. The bust was so peaceful that some of the barons picked at the course of the raid paused with big smiles to be photographed. Read the full report below.

2. NDLEA invades cocaine warehouse, seizes N193 billion worth of crack in Lagos

In what appears to be the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s premier anti-narcotic agency, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have invaded a major warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu area of Lagos where 1.8tons (1,855 kilogrammes) of the illicit drug worth more than $278, 250,000, equivalent of about N193 billion in street value were seized.

At least, four drug barons, including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager were arrested in the well-coordinated and intelligence-led operation that lasted two days across different locations in Lagos State.

NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, yesterday, said the kingpins of the cocaine cartel in custody include: Messrs Soji Jibril, 69, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo State; Emmanuel Chukwu, 65, who hails from Ekwulobia, Anambra State; Wasiu Akinade, 53, from Ibadan, Oyo State; Sunday Oguntelure, 53, from Okitipupa, Ondo State and Kelvin Smith, 42, a native of Kingston, Jamaica.

“They are all members of an international drug syndicate that the Agency has been trailing since 2018.

“Located at 6 Olukuola crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, the warehouse was raided on Sunday, September 18, 2022, while the barons were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between Sunday night and Monday, September 19.

“Preliminary investigation reveals the class A drugs were warehoused in the residential estate from where the cartel was trying to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world. They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums,” Babafemi said.

While commending all the officers and men of the Agency involved in the extensive investigation, including those of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), said the operation was a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they’ll all go down if they fail to realise that the game has changed. TheGuardian

I must commend the peaceful nature of the owners of the seized cocaine. Willingly gave up crack worth to N194, 775,000,000, no fight, no noise no nothing. They must be a set of really generous people, and oh! NDLEA is a really smart agency; all they needed was just two days to pull this off, in fact, they did not disturb the peace of the area.

Earlier this year, NDLEA raided a notorious drug haven in a community on Lagos Island, that raid did not go unchallenged as the cartel under raid and others around the area put up resistance to protect their ‘stuff’ from enforcement. Read the press release by the agency below.

“NDLEA raids Lagos Island drug den, arrests kingpin, 6 others; recovers 5,862kg drugs

A major drug kingpin operating the notorious Patey Lagos Island drug haven, in Lagos state, Mrs. Sherifat Kehinde Lawal has been arrested along with six other suspects by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, who also recovered 5,862 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs including Loud and Codeine in a raid on Saturday 26th February 2022.

Following credible intelligence and follow-up surveillance on illicit drug dealing in Osho, Gambari, and Beecroft Streets, Patey Area of Lagos Island, anti-narcotic officers stormed the Gambari street base of the drug kingpin where they arrested her and six of her accomplices at 9:30 am Saturday 26th Feb. Other members of the cartel operating in the axis, however, mobilized hoodlums who attacked the operatives with stones, bottles and guns in a bid to prevent the officers from arresting other kingpins marked for arrest as well as taking the suspects already nabbed and drug exhibits away.

The operatives were able to tactically defend themselves and took the suspects and exhibits away. Other suspects in custody with Mrs. Lawal include Ahmed Yisau; Solomon Alape; Olayemi Akinola; Salami Qudus; Bakare Rafiu; Rose Samson; Yusuf Rofiat, and Chukwudi Egon.

In his reaction to the development, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the Lagos Command of the Agency for the successful operation. He warned those being used by drug cartels to obstruct or attack anti-narcotic officers in the course of doing their work to desist or face dire consequences.”

 This bust is not as big as the recent one yet, but the cartels put up a fight. A thread I saw on Twitter better expresses our concerns. I brought that here too.

“How do you bust $280+ million worth of cocaine and not a single shot was fired? Nobody was crazy, armed, and protecting such a cache? Even trap houses don’t go down that easy tbvh. Something doesn’t add up. Small marijuana they busted in Lagos Island we saw how much chaos those guys caused. Full resistance, gunshots, and five whole people died ready to protect their stash.

“E come be coke + crack cocaine that went down with no resistance. Something doesn’t add up. You don’t keep a quarter of a billion dollars worth of hard drugs in Ikorodu (of all remote places) and not guard with a small but heavily armed militia. You are on the lookout for both rival dealers and law because none of the two will visit you without violence.”

Yet again, the NDLEA did a very neat and peaceful job. They are our heroes and we celebrate them for a good job. This script was awesomely written; we will sit back and watch how the episodes will unfold so, grab your popcorn and drink let’s enjoy the show.