According to a statement issued by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the agency’s operatives had received credible intelligence about the nature of the gathering and infiltrated the venue around 11 p.m. on Saturday. The operation was executed at approximately 3 a.m. Sunday “in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).”
More than 100 individuals were apprehended for screening, including Pretty Mike, who was identified as the owner of the establishment. NDLEA officials said several cartons of illicit substances were discovered in the club’s storage areas and among attendees. Items recovered included Loud—a potent strain of cannabis—and nitrous oxide (commonly known as laughing gas).
“The raid followed intelligence about the drug party,” the statement read. “NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11 p.m. on Saturday, 25th October, disrupted the gathering at 3 a.m. on Sunday, 26th October, in accordance with our SOPs.”
The NDLEA noted that Pretty Mike remains in custody while investigations continue to determine his level of involvement and whether charges will be filed.
Wider Crackdown on Drug Networks
The nightclub raid is part of a series of coordinated operations by the NDLEA across several states in recent weeks, aimed at dismantling drug trafficking and distribution networks.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos intercepted a drug shipment concealed in cocoa butter body cream containers and destined for London. The consignment, weighing 3.6 kilograms of cocaine, was seized during a routine cargo inspection on October 14.
The agency confirmed the arrest of Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, a cargo agent who presented the shipment for airfreight. Subsequent investigations led to the arrests of Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah, a healthcare worker, and Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, a travel agency CEO, at his office in Ikeja GRA.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, foiled an attempt by a 35-year-old Lesotho national, Lemena Mark, to smuggle 103.59 grams of methamphetamine hidden in a herbal tea pack en route to the Philippines.
In another operation in Kwara State, officers recovered 21,950 capsules of Tramadol (250mg) concealed inside a 100-litre water heater. The suspect, Umar Abubakar, 40, was arrested in Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area.
Marwa Urges Balanced Approach
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.), commended the operatives involved in the series of operations and reiterated the agency’s commitment to curbing drug abuse and trafficking through both enforcement and preventive measures.
“We must maintain a balanced approach to drug control—one that combines enforcement with education and community engagement,” Marwa said.
The agency’s recent operations, including the high-profile nightclub raid, reflect its continued resolve to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs and clamp down on drug-related activities across Nigeria’s entertainment and logistics sectors.