How NDLEA Uncovered a Massive Lekki Drug Lab and Arrested Its Saudi-Bound Owner | SEE PHOTOS

A wanted Nigerian drug kingpin, 40-year-old Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah after months of intelligence gathering and surveillance.

According to a statement released on Saturday, November 9, 2025, by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the suspect had earlier been arrested and charged with drug-related offences in the United Kingdom, but jumped bail and fled to Nigeria where he continued his criminal activities.

Upon settling in Lagos, Yussuf allegedly established a large-scale clandestine laboratory in the Lekki area for the production of Colorado, a dangerous strain of synthetic cannabis, and other illicit drugs.

At about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 6, 2025, NDLEA operatives swooped in and arrested the suspect at the airport as he attempted to flee the country. He was immediately taken to his operational base located at No. 17 Vincent Eku Street, Ogombo, Lekki, where officers had maintained covert surveillance for weeks.

During the operation, NDLEA officials also apprehended another suspect, 43-year-old Abideen Kekere-Ekun, who was reportedly assisting Yussuf in managing the illegal facility.

Spokesman Femi Babafemi confirmed that operatives from the Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring successfully dismantled the entire laboratory, seizing production equipment, precursor chemicals, and already processed substances weighing 148.3 kilograms.

The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to dismantling drug cartels across the country and preventing the spread of synthetic substances that endanger public health.

[caption id="attachment_196714" align="alignnone" width="1080"] The Colos lab[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_196717" align="alignnone" width="810"] How NDLEA Uncovered a Massive Lekki Drug Lab and Arrested Its Saudi-Bound Owner[/caption]

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