In a major breakthrough for Nigeria's anti-narcotics agency, a key female member of a trans-border cocaine syndicate has been apprehended in Lagos, with a massive stash of the illicit drug discovered hidden in her children's bedroom.
Cartel Smashed, Kingpin on the Run
The arrest marks a significant follow-up to an operation conducted twenty months prior, where the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dismantled a cocaine trafficking ring led by a couple. The duo, identified as Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda, were intercepted on Saturday, 25th May 2024.
NDLEA operatives from a special operations unit caught them at Ibiye, along the Lagos-Badagry expressway, as they attempted to cross a land border to deliver the drugs to Ghana. At the point of arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found in their possession.
A swift raid on their residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun state, yielded an additional 8 blocks weighing 10kg. This brought the total seizure from the couple to a staggering 57.5 kilograms of cocaine.
The Stash Keeper Unmasked and Nabbed
Determined to capture every member of the organization, NDLEA officers continued relentless intelligence and surveillance on the drug trafficking organization (DTO). Their efforts paid off when they identified Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, a 39-year-old woman, as a crucial stash keeper for the cartel.
According to a statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Simbiat had successfully evaded capture since May 2024, going underground after the initial arrests. However, the agency's persistence led them to her doorstep at 31 Onasanya street, Surulere, Lagos, where she was finally arrested on Tuesday, 9th December 2025.
N5 Billion Cocaine Cache Found in Children's Room
A thorough search of her Surulere home led to a shocking discovery. Operatives found multiple blocks of cocaine concealed in a black suitcase recovered from her children's room. The total weight of this consignment was 23.50 kilograms.
Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat admitted ownership of the illicit drug haul. The NDLEA estimates the street value of the seized cocaine to be over N5 billion, underscoring the scale of the criminal operation.
Implications of the Bust
This successful operation highlights the NDLEA's commitment to pursuing all links in drug trafficking chains, even months after an initial bust. The arrest of a high-level female operative and the recovery of such a valuable cache from a residential area, specifically a children's space, reveals the brazen and dangerous methods employed by these syndicates.
The crackdown on this particular DTO sends a strong message about the ongoing war against hard drugs in Nigeria, aiming to disrupt supply networks and bring key players to justice, regardless of how long they manage to hide.
