Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a female suspected drug kingpin after uncovering a large cache of cocaine concealed inside a children’s room in her Lagos residence.
The arrest followed a prolonged intelligence-led operation spanning about 20 months, which began after the dismantling of a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate operating between Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
The agency said the suspect had gone into hiding since May 2024 but was eventually tracked to her home in Surulere, Lagos.
According to the NDLEA, a search of the residence led to the recovery of 23.50 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a suitcase kept in the children’s room.
The seized drugs were estimated to be worth over N5 billion on the street.
The suspect reportedly admitted ownership of the consignment.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, explained that the arrest was linked to an earlier operation in which the leaders of the trafficking cartel, a couple, were apprehended in May 2024 while attempting to move cocaine across the Nigeria–Benin border en route to Ghana.
At the time, more than 57 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from them in Lagos and Ogun states.
He said further investigations and surveillance led operatives to identify the woman as a key stash keeper within the syndicate, culminating in her arrest in December 2025.
In related operations, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, intercepted a businessman attempting to smuggle over 1,000 pills of tramadol and tapentadol to Italy.
The suspect allegedly concealed the drugs in his luggage and claimed the deal would have earned him a cash reward abroad.
The agency also reported the arrest of another suspect at the Seme border with thousands of tramadol tablets, as well as the seizure of large quantities of cannabis and synthetic drugs from a separate suspect along the Okene–Lokoja highway.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks across the country and warned traffickers that no hiding place exists, stressing that intelligence-driven operations would continue nationwide.
