By Lukman Olabiyi and Lawrence Enyoghasu, Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raided a major warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu area of Lagos where 1.8 tons (1,855 kilograms) of the illicit drugs worth more than $278,250,000, equivalent of about N194,775,000,000 in street value were seized.

The seizure appears to be the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s premier anti-narcotic agency.

Addressing the press after the operation, NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy Femi Babafemi disclosed that four drug barons including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager have been arrested in the well coordinated and intelligence led operation that lasted two days across different locations in Lagos State.

He revealed the name of the drug kingpins their custody as: 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.

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Giving detail on how the operation was carried out, he said the warehouse was located at 6 Olukuola crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu, it was raided on Sunday ,September 18, 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. The drugs were store in 10 travel bags and 13 drums,” he said.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA Brig Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) commended all the officers and men of the agency involved in the extensive investigation including those of the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration (US-DEA).

Marwa stated that the bust is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they will all go down if they fail to realise that the game has changed.

A vehicle with registration number Lagos AAA 734 HT was being used by the drug barons to evade arrest or search, including stickers of the Lagos State Government and the state House of Assembly.