The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled what it described as a family-run drug cartel operating out of Lagos, arresting a businessman, his wife, their two daughters, and a close family associate in a coordinated series of operations that uncovered over 500kg of illicit drugs.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, confirmed that the syndicate—led by 51-year-old Ajah Johnson Uchenna and his wife, Rosemary Uchenna—was uncovered following intelligence-led operations involving the Department of State Services (DSS) and NDLEA operatives.
The couple was initially arrested on June 13 in the Ojo area of Lagos by DSS operatives, who handed them over to the NDLEA along with 277.5 kilograms of skunk (a potent strain of cannabis).
However, Babafemi revealed that while the couple was still in custody, intelligence reports indicated that their illicit operation continued, managed by their children and an accomplice.
This prompted a follow-up raid on July 1 at their residence and a nearby warehouse, where another 231 kilograms of the same banned substance was seized.
Three other individuals—identified as their daughters, Stella and Ngozi Uchenna, and a family associate, Okoro Elijah—were arrested during the July 1 raid. They were allegedly in charge of distributing the narcotics while the couple was detained.
“This bust is one of the clearest indications of how deep and organised drug trafficking networks have become, with entire families being conscripted into the illicit business,” Babafemi said.
The NDLEA also announced other major seizures during the week in separate operations aimed at halting the smuggling of hard drugs through unconventional means.
In one instance, the agency intercepted cocaine cleverly concealed in lipsticks and property title documents bound for the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, respectively.
The contraband was uncovered at a courier logistics company in Lagos on Thursday, July 3, by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).
In another sting operation, NDLEA officials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos intercepted counterfeit travellers’ cheques worth AUD$17.7 million (approximately ₦15 billion), concealed in children’s books and destined for Malaysia via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight.
A suspect, identified as Bolarinwa Saheed, a freight agent, was arrested in connection with the crime.
The NDLEA stated that the suspect and the fake cheques would be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying its war against illicit drug trafficking and smuggling, warning that traffickers—regardless of their methods or networks—would be tracked, exposed, and brought to justice..
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