Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a female drug syndicate leader, Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, in her Lagos residence after recovering 23.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in her children’s room.
The arrest marks a major breakthrough in an ongoing crackdown on a trans-border cocaine trafficking cartel previously led by Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda, who were apprehended in Lagos and Ogun States in May 2024. At the time, NDLEA seized 57.5 kilograms of cocaine from the couple during operations along the Lagos-Badagry expressway and their Agbara, Ogun State residence.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, surveillance and intelligence efforts identified 39-year-old Simbiat as a key member of the drug trafficking organization (DTO). She was tracked to her home at 31 Onasanya Street, Surulere, Lagos, on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
A detailed search of the property revealed the cocaine hidden in a black suitcase in her children’s room. Simbiat reportedly admitted ownership of the drugs, which have an estimated street value exceeding N5 billion.
NDLEA officials confirmed that the agency remains committed to dismantling all members of the syndicate through continuous intelligence-led operations.