Esther Imonmion
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 40-year-old man described as a “notorious drug lord” over drug trafficking at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Monday, November 10, 2025, as he prepared to board a flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
The suspect, identified as Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, had been under surveillance for several months before his arrest, according to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi disclosed that Azeez had previously been arrested and charged in the United Kingdom for drug trafficking, but jumped bail and fled to Nigeria. He allegedly established a large illegal drug laboratory in the Lekki area of Lagos, where he reportedly produced “Colorado,” a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, and other illicit substances.
Azeez was arrested alongside Abideen Kekere-Ekun, aged 43. NDLEA operatives dismantled the laboratory and seized more than 148 kilogrammes of drugs, along with equipment and chemicals used in production — a major breakthrough in the agency’s crackdown on drug trafficking networks.
In separate operations, NDLEA officers recovered large quantities of narcotics across several states. In Lagos, about 105.5kg of Molly and 500g of methamphetamine were seized, while in Niger State, operatives intercepted 87,000 tramadol pills and 72kg of skunk.
In Edo State, a 73-year-old man was arrested at a cannabis farm where nearly 1.5 tonnes of the drug were destroyed. Two other suspects — aged 70 and 43 — were detained in Bayelsa and Kogi states for possession of cannabis and “Loud,” another potent cannabis strain, in ongoing drug trafficking crackdowns.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers for their efforts, stressing that the arrests were part of sustained nationwide operations to dismantle drug trafficking syndicates and curb the spread of illicit substances.
Marwa said the arrests should serve as “a strong warning to drug barons” that the NDLEA, in collaboration with international partners, would continue to pursue and prosecute offenders involved in drug trafficking across Nigeria.