The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has taken into custody 22 Indian crew members of a merchant vessel, in connection with the seizure of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine.
Disclosing this on Sunday, the anti-narcotics agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, was arrested at the GDNL terminal of the Apapa port Lagos o Friday January 2.
Those detained in connection with the discovery of the 31.5kg cocaine in hatch 3 of the ship which originated from Marshall Islands, include the Master of the Vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan and 21 other crew members, namely: Bharati Manoj Kumar; Bhalerao Nilesh Mukund; Nadar Anthony Macson David; Kolusu Srinivasa Rao and Sagar Gaurav.
Others are: Francis Anto Beemas Nester; Jagdeep Singh; Jai Parkash; Prabhukhan Singh; Nevage Sandesh Suresh; Pandey Prashant; Nittu Anand; Akash Babu; Dasari Raju; Reddy Nandika Sanjeeba; Rana Nivesh; Melethil Insaf Rahman; Barla Chantanya Krishna; Ghosh Arijit; Mondal Raihan; and Gangwar Shiv Om.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Oyo state on Monday 29th December 2025 arrested a wanted female drug kingpin who is a major illicit drug distributor in Ibadan, the state capital. The 65-year-old grandma, Fatima Ilori, popularly known as Mama Kerosine was nabbed in an intelligence-led operation following the seizure of 238.4kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, linked to her. She was arrested along with another female suspect Olusanya Abosede, 35, at Onireke/Elekuro area of Ibadan.
In Borno state, NDLEA operatives thwarted the the supply chain of illicit drugs to insurgents with the arrest of two suppliers and seizure of large consignments of illicit substances. While one of the suspects, Isa Mohammed, 26, was arrested by NDLEA operatives following the interception of 9,150 ampoules of Tramadol Injection along Maiduguri-Gamboru Ngala road on Friday 2nd January 2026, the other suspect Musa Samaila, 30, was nabbed with 34,000 capsules of Tramadol at Biu market on the same day.
In Kwara state, NDLEA officers on Tuesday 30th December recovered 238.50kg skunk from the home of a suspect at Asadam area of Ilorin, while a total of 32,000 pills of tramadol and diazepam were seized from another suspect Abubakar Rabiu, 32, at Bode Saadu, Morro LGA, on new year eve, Wednesday 31stDecember 2025.
Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Madrasatu Fadimatul Zahra Sabuwar Abuja Kankia, Kankia LGA, Katsina; members of Topo Youth Progressive Organisation, Topo Badagry, Lagos; and residents of Madalla community at the palace of Hakimi Madalla, Niger state, among others.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), while commending the officers and men of the various commands were the seizures and arrests were made, enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the ongoing drug control efforts of the Agency.
