NDLEA arrests 101-year-old great-grandmother, intercepts N4.4bn illicit drugs
By Aboki Forex —
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother for allegedly dealing in cannabis and intercepted consignments of illicit drugs worth more than N4.4 billion across Nigeria. The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, August 23, 2026, by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Operations were carried out in Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, Ondo, Kwara, Oyo, Kano and Abia states. Seizures ranged from cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine to tramadol, codeine, diazepam and rohypnol.
Centenarian granted bail
NDLEA arrested 101-year-old Esther Ogunmabo in Ilisan, Ogun State, on August 15. She had 90 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets. She told operatives she sold cannabis to locals after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. One of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, allegedly supplied the drug every four days.
Because of her advanced age, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and placed on counselling. Her daughter was arrested.
Ports and maritime seizures
In Akwa Ibom, operatives intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas on August 21. It was allegedly transporting drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon. Three suspects were arrested with a combined 42.622kg of narcotics, including skunk and cocaine, with 20 grams of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu.
The NDLEA recorded its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor. Two containers of Thai Loud were intercepted at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos with a combined street value of more than N4.4 billion. “Both containers were loaded at the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand,” the agency said.
At Apapa Port, operatives found 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud hidden in a container declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries. The consignment comprised 2,181 sachets packed into 54 cartons. At Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container under NDLEA surveillance contained 400kg of Thai Loud concealed among pallets of A4 paper. Four of the seven pallets contained the drugs, while three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper used as cover.
Crackdown across the country
In Abuja, NDLEA operatives intercepted 24,410 tramadol capsules being transported from Enugu to Zuba. They later arrested the alleged owner in Kontagora, Niger State. In Ondo State, the agency destroyed 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of cannabis farm in Ijare forest and recovered another 210kg of skunk in Ita-Ogbolu.
In Kwara, operatives intercepted 1.325kg of methamphetamine and cannabis from a vehicle and arrested a 22-year-old suspect. A 65-year-old woman was arrested in Oyo State with 4.68kg of assorted controlled substances, including Loud, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam and flunitrazepam. In Kano, 73.3kg of skunk was recovered from a suspect, while three members of a family were arrested near the Seme border in Lagos with 48kg of skunk. In Abia, operatives recovered Loud, Colorado, tramadol and rohypnol from the residence of a 36-year-old suspect.
Older suspects in NDLEA net
The arrest of a 101-year-old woman adds to recent NDLEA operations involving older Nigerians allegedly linked to the drug trade. In early July, a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after operatives allegedly found 13kg of cocaine concealed in packages made to resemble plantains. In April, the agency arrested 93-year-old Pa Friday Ahukanna Chigbu in Abia State after recovering 7.7kg of skunk from his residence. He reportedly admitted to engaging in the illicit trade for more than a year.
A week before this statement, the NDLEA announced the destruction of 329,865.585kg of assorted illicit drugs and psychotropic substances in Lagos, with an estimated street value of N301.06 billion. In late July, its MMIA Strategic Command said it had seized 9,058.543kg of illicit drugs and arrested 260 suspects from 2025 to date. The agency also intercepted cocaine, cannabis and opioids estimated at N10 billion within a single week at Lagos ports and courier facilities.