“Fish Heads, Grandpas, and ‘Iya Ghana’: Inside NDLEA’s Strangest Week of Drug Busts”

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered one of the most creative—and pungent—smuggling tactics in recent history. In a series of high-stakes operations concluded this week, March 29, 2026, operatives intercepted a massive cocaine consignment destined for India, expertly hidden inside the heads of imported dry stockfish, popularly known as Okporoko.

Akputa Dickson Ejike, described as a kingpin a drug syndicate.

The “Okporoko” Connection

The breakthrough came following a sting operation in the Ojo area of Lagos. Operatives arrested 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike, described as a kingpin in a trans-border drug syndicate.

A meticulous search of three jumbo bags in his possession revealed 237 wraps of cocaine (weighing 5.80kg) stuffed inside the hollowed-out heads of the dried fish. The “fishy” cargo was prepared for export to Delhi, India, before the NDLEA disrupted the supply chain.

In Yaba, a 46-year-old woman, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi (alias Iya Ghana), was arrested. While she posed as a local fabric trader

Fentanyl and “Iya Ghana” Unmasked

The agency’s success didn’t stop at the fish market. Over the last seven days, several other high-profile cartels were dismantled:

• The UK Pipeline: At a courier firm in Lagos, officers intercepted auto parts originating from the Benin Republic. Hidden inside automobile filters was 1.9kg of methamphetamine. Even more alarming, the same shipment contained lethal doses of Fentanyl and Morphine Sulphate.

• The Fabric Front: In Yaba, a 46-year-old woman, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi (alias Iya Ghana), was arrested. While she posed as a local fabric trader, she allegedly ran a massive cannabis network between Nigeria and Ghana. Security forces recovered 76.30kg of “Ghana Loud” (a potent cannabis strain) from her residence.

Oke Samuel 80 year Old arrested by NDLEA with 2.2kg of drugs

• The 80-Year-Old “Meth” Grandpa: In a startling discovery in Ekiti State, 80-year-old Oke Samuel was apprehended with quantities of skunk and methamphetamine during a raid at Mosafuneto camp.

A Nationwide Crackdown

From a warehouse in Edo State yielding 576kg of skunk to a truck in Taraba State concealing drugs in animal feed, the NDLEA has intensified its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA).

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman of the NDLEA, commended the tactical units for their “fair balance” between reducing drug supply and demand, noting that the agency remains vigilant against increasingly sophisticated concealment methods.

Written by Boom RadioNG