Three weeks on the run: Cocaine kingpin Ubodoeze busted by NDLEA

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Barely three weeks after launching an intense manhunt, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have finally apprehended Levi Chidiebele Ubodoeze, an automobile spare parts dealer, over a foiled attempt to smuggle two kilograms of cocaine to Angola.

The illicit substance, ingeniously concealed within vehicle propellers, was intercepted at a logistics company within the Aspanda Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, on 21st February 2025.

NDLES’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said acting swiftly, agency’s operatives collaborated with Angolan authorities, who in turn arrested the intended recipient of the consignment.

He said following rigorous investigations, the identity of the sender was unraveled, setting off a relentless pursuit that culminated in Ubodoeze’s capture.

Babafemi revealed that on the evening of Thursday, 6th March, NDLEA officers tracked Ubodoeze to his residence along Ago Palace Way, Isolo, Lagos.

As he attempted a desperate escape in his KIA Sport Utility Vehicle, the operatives moved in, cornering him before he could flee.

Babafemi disclosed that a thorough search of his vehicle led to the shocking discovery of 75.50 kilograms of phenacetin—a notorious cutting agent for cocaine—cunningly packaged and labeled as semolina.

Additionally, a digital scale used for measuring illicit substances was recovered from his residence, further cementing his role in the drug trade.

During interrogation, Ubodoeze confessed to dealing in cocaine while running his automobile spare parts business at Ladipo Market, Mushin.

He revealed that the recipient of the intercepted consignment in Angola had frantically alerted him upon his arrest, prompting his hasty attempt to vacate his home and escape before NDLEA officers closed in on him.

Meanwhile, in a separate operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted a shipment of cannabis-infused candies imported from the United Kingdom.

The consignment, intended for retail sale at a Kiddies Mart in Surulere, Lagos, was seized on 27th February upon arrival as a consolidated cargo via Allied Airways.

According to Babafemi, preliminary field tests and subsequent forensic analysis confirmed that the seemingly harmless candies were laced with a potent strain of cannabis, triggering an immediate investigation.

He said the consignment’s recipient, Adedamola Taylor, was arrested on Tuesday, 4th March, following the initial detention of a freight agent linked to the illicit cargo.

Under interrogation, Adedamola admitted that the shipment had been sent by his UK-based brother, Babatunde Alabi, for onward delivery to Musurat Lawal, the operator of the Kiddies Mart owned by Alabi in Surulere.

A swift follow-up operation at the store led to the arrest of Musurat, marking a significant breakthrough in NDLEA’s ongoing crackdown on drug-related crimes.