Koko Maxwella 
ABUJA, Nigeria — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrests a suspected female drug kingpin after a 20-month manhunt, seizing cocaine worth over ₦5 billion in Lagos.
The suspect, Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, is arrested at her Surulere residence following sustained intelligence operations linked to a trans-border cocaine trafficking syndicate.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi says operatives recovered 23.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside a suitcase hidden in a children’s room.
Simbiat reportedly goes underground after the May 2024 arrest of the cartel’s leaders, Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda.
The syndicate is initially dismantled along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, where operatives intercept 47.5kg of cocaine bound for Ghana. A follow-up raid in Ogun State recovered an additional 10kg, bringing total seizures to 57.5kg.
Babafemi says subsequent intelligence-led operations lead to multiple arrests and seizures of tramadol, tapentadol and cannabis across airports, borders and highways nationwide.
Commending the operation, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praises officers for their persistence. “This arrest demonstrates our resolve to dismantle drug networks and protect Nigerian communities,” Marwa says.
He urges heightened vigilance, particularly during the festive season, to curb drug trafficking and abuse.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 