NEWS
NDLEA Arrests 101-Year-Old Woman, Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Fufu, Seizes Drugs Worth Over ₦4.4bn
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking, recording a series of dramatic arrests and massive seizures, including the arrest of a 101-year-old woman allegedly involved in the retail sale of cannabis.
The sweeping operations, carried out across several states and major ports, also led to the interception of cocaine cleverly concealed in edible cassava flour popularly known as fufu, as well as the seizure of illicit drug consignments valued at more than ₦4.4 billion.
The centenarian, identified as Esther Ogunmabo, was arrested on August 15, 2026, at Ilisan in Ogun State with 90 grammes of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis. Investigations revealed that Ogunmabo allegedly sold the substance in small retail quantities. She reportedly explained that she ventured into drug dealing after a fire destroyed her provisions shop, leaving her without her former means of livelihood.
Further findings showed that one of her daughters, who resides in Lagos, allegedly supplied her with cannabis every four days. Given her advanced age, the Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), directed that the 101-year-old woman be granted bail and placed under counselling, while her daughter was subsequently arrested for her alleged role in supplying the illicit substance.
In another operation in Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat allegedly transporting illicit drugs towards fishing settlements in Cameroon. The operation, carried out on August 21, led to the arrest of three suspects and the recovery of 42.622kg of narcotics. Among the seized substances was cocaine weighing 20 grammes, which was ingeniously concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu. Other recovered drugs included large quantities of skunk, exposing yet another method allegedly being used by traffickers to evade detection.
At the Lagos seaports, the Agency recorded what it described as its first major seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor. Operatives intercepted two containers loaded with cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki ports.
The container intercepted at Apapa had been declared to contain items including dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries.
However, a search revealed 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud concealed within the consignment. A second container intercepted at the Lekki port yielded another 400kg of the illicit substance. The combined street value of the massive drug consignments was estimated at more than ₦4.4 billion, making the seizure one of the major breakthroughs recorded in the Agency’s ongoing war against drug trafficking. The crackdown also extended to the Federal Capital Territory, where NDLEA operatives intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 capsules of tramadol. The packages were recovered from a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba on August 22.
A follow-up operation subsequently took operatives to Kontagora in Niger State, where the alleged owner of the consignment, 28-year-old Sunday Eze, was arrested.
In Ondo State, the Agency launched a major offensive against illicit cannabis cultivation, destroying 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of farmland in the Ijare forest in Ifedore Local Government Area. Operatives also recovered 210kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry during a separate operation at Ita-Ogbolu.
Similar operations across the country produced further seizures, including 1.325kg of methamphetamine and cannabis in Kwara State, as well as 4.68kg of assorted illicit drugs recovered from a 65-year-old woman in Oyo State.
In Kano State, operatives seized 73.3kg of skunk, while three family members were arrested near Seme in Lagos with 48kg of the same substance.
In Abia State, NDLEA operatives also recovered 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, as well as quantities of tramadol and Rohypnol. Beyond arrests and seizures, the Agency sustained its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign, taking anti-drug messages to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across several states.
The NDLEA Chairman commended officers and men of the various commands for the successful operations, urging them to maintain the momentum in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
The latest string of operations underscores the Agency’s continued multi-pronged strategy of combining aggressive enforcement with prevention, counselling and sustained public education in its battle against the growing threat o
f illicit drugs in Nigeria.