Major Drug Bust: NDLEA Seizes 4,560kg Of Skunk And Raids Fentanyl Cartel In Delta

In a series of successful interdiction operations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confiscated a staggering 4,560 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, in the Nigerian states of Lagos, Adamawa, and Osun.

The operations also led to the discovery and raid of a skunk manufacturing facility in Ogun State. Four members of a notorious drug syndicate, including two church officials, a female staff member of a courier company, and another woman, were apprehended in Delta State for their involvement in trafficking the lethal opioid, fentanyl.

According to Femi Babafemi, the spokesperson for the NDLEA, the recent crackdown on the fentanyl cartel operating in Warri, Delta State, marks a significant breakthrough.

This achievement comes just one month after the arrest of two members of another syndicate involved in the dangerous drug trade.

The ongoing intelligence-led investigations have aimed to dismantle the networks responsible for distributing fentanyl, a drug that is 100 times more potent than heroin and has been linked to over 70% of overdose deaths in the United States.

Among the latest arrests are two officials from Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries, a church located in Warri, Delta State. Adewale Abayomi Ayeni, 39, and Ebipakebina Appeal, 41, were linked to intercepted consignments of the illicit drug.

Ayeni is allegedly involved in managing the prayer call center of the church, while Ebipakebina oversees the transportation of international guests from the airport to the church.

The investigation also led to the apprehension of two female accomplices in Warri. Naomi David, 28, an employee of United Parcel Services (UPS), and Stacy Njideka, also known as Nkiruka, 27, a business associate of Ayeni, were both arrested during the operation.