NDLEA arrests Saudi-bound wanted Drug Lord during raid on clandestine cocaine laboratory in Lagos
Operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, a 40-year-old wanted drug lord, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos while he was on his way to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, a holy pilgrimage, after conducting months of intelligence and surveillance on him and his illicit drug activities.
Femi Babafemi, Image maker of NDLEA in a ststemwnt on Sunday, November 9th , revealed that the notorious drug lord had been apprehended and charged with narcotics offences in the United Kingdom, but absconded and fled to Nigeria. Upon establishing himself in Lagos, he established a large clandestine laboratory in the Lekki area of the state for the manufacture of Colorado, a lethal synthetic cannabis and other illicit substances.
“At around 6:30am on Thursday, 6th November 2025, NDLEA operatives arrested Yussuf at the Lagos airport as he attempted to board a flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah. He was then transported to his secret laboratory at 17 Vincent Eku street, Ogombo, Lekki, which had been under observation. At the time of his arrest, Yussuf was found in the company of another suspect, 43-year-old Abideen Kekere-Ekun.
Inside the massive building, operatives from the Agency’s Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring were able to dismantle all installed laboratory equipment, precursor chemicals and already produced illicit substances including Colorado, all weighing 148.3 kilograms”.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives, in conjunction with Customs Service personnel and other security agencies, discovered 105.5kg of Molly, a designer drug, and 500grams of methamphetamine during a joint examination of a shipment at the Sifax bonded terminal in Okota, Lagos, on Friday, 7th November.
Reacting, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), encouraged his officers and their colleagues across the country to continue the ongoing balanced approach to the Agency’s drug control efforts.
“The dismantling of yet another clandestine laboratory for the production of Colorado and other dangerous synthetic substances and the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, coming barely a week after similar actions were taken against another cartel in Ajao estate Lagos shows that these are no doubt the first in the series of what will be many strikes against merchants of death who prey on the weak in our communities. Let it be known to those still hiding in the dark that the NDLEA supported by our local and international law enforcement partners will continue to hunt them and bring them to justice”, Marwa added.
