A Nigerian couple, Agbakoba John Mmadu and Agbakoba Ijeoma Chinwe, believed to be leaders of a prominent cocaine syndicate based in Lagos, have been apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Alongside them, an associate named Okoye Ifeoma Maryjane was also detained. The arrests occurred during a raid where substantial consignments of cocaine intended for export and local distribution were seized.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, released a statement on Sunday detailing the operation. According to Babafemi, a special operations unit conducted the raid following several months of intelligence gathering and surveillance. The syndicate was known for packaging, distributing, and trafficking cocaine both domestically and internationally.
Babafemi stated, “The 54-year-old Agbakoba John Mmadu was arrested at Ago Palace Way, Okota while his wife, Agbakoba Ijeoma Chinwe, 39, and associate, Okoye Ifeoma Maryjane, 31, who doubles as their stash keeper, were nabbed at Plot 2205 Eugene Ndubisi Close, Lilly Estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, all on Wednesday, 3rd July 2024.”
He further revealed that seven parcels of cocaine, weighing a total of 7.652 kilograms, were recovered from Mmadu at Ago Palace Way. Additionally, 122 compressed pellets of the same drug, weighing 2.42 kilograms, were seized from Ijeoma and Ifeoma at Lilly Estate. The total seizure amounted to 10.1 kilograms of cocaine, valued at over N2.1 billion in street value.