Months-long surveillance leads to Maryland warehouse bust; suspected kingpin and accomplices arrested in major anti-narcotics crackdown

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have turned down a staggering ₦500 million bribe and dismantled a major drug trafficking operation in Lagos, uncovering illicit substances valued at about ₦7.8 billion.

The high-stakes operation, carried out in Maryland on the outskirts of Ikeja, exposed a residential building allegedly converted into a storage hub by a sophisticated drug syndicate. Officers recovered large quantities of illegal drugs believed to be part of a wider distribution network.

Police confirmed the arrest of the suspected kingpin alongside several accomplices, including one Eke Ifeanyi Henry, during the coordinated raid led by operatives from the Zone 2 Police Command and the Special Protection Unit.

Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, AIG Jimoh, revealed that the prime suspect had been under close surveillance for months. He noted that the strike was executed only after authorities gathered sufficient intelligence linking the suspects to large-scale drug trafficking activities.

The dramatic refusal of the bribe and subsequent breakthrough underscores ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat the rising tide of illicit drug trade in Lagos and other major cities. Authorities say operations targeting organised criminal networks will continue to intensify in a bid to curb the menace.