NDLEA Busts International Drug Ring, Arrests 22 Foreign Crew, ‘Mama Kerosine’ Nabbed.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recorded major breakthroughs in nationwide anti-drug operations, intercepting large consignments of illicit substances concealed in coffee sachets and parcels bound for foreign destinations, while arresting multiple suspects linked to international and domestic drug trafficking networks.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to Nivo News, the intercepted drugs included Ketamine, Ecstasy and Tramadol pills ingeniously hidden inside coffee mix sachets and book packages intended for shipment to Zambia and the United Kingdom. The seizures were carried out at a courier facility in Lagos on December 24 and 29, 2025.

In a related development, the agency arrested 22 Indian nationals who were crew members aboard a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, following the discovery of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside Hatch 3 of the ship at the GDNL terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos, on Friday, January 2, 2026. The vessel reportedly originated from the Marshall Islands.

Those taken into custody include the vessel’s master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, alongside 21 other crew members, all of whom are being investigated in connection with the illicit consignment.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Oyo State arrested a notorious female drug kingpin, Fatima Ilori, popularly known as “Mama Kerosine,” during an intelligence-driven operation on December 29, 2025. The 65-year-old, described as a major drug distributor in Ibadan, was apprehended after the seizure of 238.4 kilograms of skunk traced to her network. Another female suspect, Olusanya Abosede, was also arrested during the operation.

In Borno State, the agency disrupted suspected drug supply lines to insurgent groups with the arrest of two alleged traffickers. One suspect, Isa Mohammed, was intercepted along the Maiduguri–Gamboru Ngala road with 9,150 ampoules of Tramadol Injection, while another, Musa Samaila, was arrested at Biu Market with 34,000 Tramadol capsules.

Further seizures were recorded across several states. In Lagos, operatives recovered about 400 kilograms of skunk along with a vehicle at the Mobolaji Johnson area on January 1, 2026. In Jigawa State, a suspect was apprehended while transporting 140.8 kilograms of compressed cannabis blocks from Taraba State to Yobe State. Similarly, in Kwara State, officers recovered over 238 kilograms of skunk from a suspect’s residence in Ilorin and arrested another individual with large quantities of Tramadol and Diazepam.

Beyond enforcement actions, NDLEA commands nationwide continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns, engaging schools, youth groups, religious institutions and communities to promote awareness and discourage drug abuse.

Commending the various state commands involved in the operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, charged officers across the country to sustain the momentum and intensify efforts in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and abuse.