101-Year-Old Woman Arrested As NDLEA Seizes ₦4.4bn Cocaine Hidden In ‘Fufu

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed the arrest of a 101-year-old woman, Esther Ogunmabo, over alleged involvement in the illegal sale of drugs.

The centenarian was arrested on Saturday, August 15, 2026, in Ilisan, Ogun State, after NDLEA operatives reportedly discovered 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in small retail sachets.

During questioning, Ogunmabo allegedly admitted selling the substance to residents in her community. She reportedly told investigators that she ventured into the illicit drug trade after her provision store was destroyed by fire.

According to the agency, the elderly woman also disclosed that one of her daughters, who resides in Lagos, supplied her with cannabis every four days, which she subsequently sold in smaller quantities.

However, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that the 101-year-old suspect be granted bail and referred for counselling in view of her advanced age.

Her daughter was, however, arrested in connection with the case.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

₦4.4bn Thai Loud Seized at Lagos Ports

The NDLEA also reported the seizure of large consignments of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, with a combined street value of more than ₦4.4 billion at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos.

The agency said the seizures were recorded during nationwide operations aimed at disrupting the activities of drug traffickers across Nigeria’s land and maritime borders.

According to the NDLEA, the seizures marked its first-ever interception of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor.

At the Apapa Port, a container declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries was jointly examined by NDLEA, Customs and other agencies on Friday, August 21.

The inspection uncovered 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets of 500 grammes each.

Another container at the Lekki Deep Sea Port, which had been placed on the NDLEA watchlist, was monitored by the agency’s Marine Special Operations Unit before being jointly examined on Wednesday, August 19.

Four of the seven pallets inside the container contained Thai Loud. The consignment consisted of 96 cartons containing 400 parcels weighing a total of 400kg.

The remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper, which the agency said were used to conceal the drugs.

Both containers were reportedly loaded at the Port of Laem Chabang in Thailand, prompting concerns about the emergence of a new route allegedly being exploited by international drug syndicates to smuggle cannabis into Nigeria.

Cocaine Concealed Inside Fufu

In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas following credible intelligence that it was transporting illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon.

Three suspects were arrested during the operation on Friday, August 21.

They were identified as 29-year-old Etima Effiong Eekpo, who was found with 1.120kg of skunk; 33-year-old Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, who had 42.060kg of skunk; and 27-year-old Kingsley Effiong John.

John was allegedly found with 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu. He was also carrying 435 grammes of skunk.

In total, 42.622kg of illicit drugs was recovered from the three suspects.

The boat was reportedly heading towards Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung fishing ports in Cameroon.

Tramadol Consignment Intercepted in FCT

In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 pills of tramadol capsules.

The packages were discovered inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba on Saturday, August 22.

A follow-up operation in Niger State led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 28-year-old Sunday Eze, in Kontagora. He was subsequently transferred to Abuja.

Cannabis Farm Destroyed in Ondo

In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives raided a cannabis farm at Ijare Forest in Ifedore Local Government Area.

The operation followed the arrest of three suspected cannabis cultivators at the location on August 16.

During the raid on August 19, the agency destroyed approximately 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of the forest.

In a separate operation at Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North Local Government Area, 210kg of skunk was recovered alongside a Toyota Camry with registration number AGL 223 JH.

The vehicle was reportedly linked to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who remains at large.

Other Seizures Across the Country

In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives conducting patrols along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway intercepted a Toyota Starlet without a registration number.

A search of the vehicle reportedly led to the discovery of 1.325kg of methamphetamine wrapped in black nylon bags, alongside quantities of cannabis sativa.

A 22-year-old suspect, Muhammadu Usman, was arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 65-year-old Adebayo Kaosarat in the Akobo-Ojuirin area of Ibadan on Friday, August 21.

She was allegedly found with various illicit substances weighing 4.68kg in total. The recovered drugs included 1.795kg of Scottish Loud, 1.66kg of tramadol, 600 grammes of codeine syrup, 125 grammes of diazepam and 50 grammes of flunitrazepam.

Meanwhile, a raid on Hadeija Road in Kano State on Monday, August 17, resulted in the arrest of 31-year-old Chibuzor Madueke. Operatives reportedly recovered 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg from him.

At Ashipa, near the Seme border in Lagos State, three members of the same family were arrested. The suspects — 52-year-old Nasiru Tijjani, 27-year-old Moshood Tijjani and 27-year-old Salami Tijjani — were allegedly found with 48kg of skunk.

In Abia State, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno in Umuobia Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area.

The operation, conducted on Thursday, August 20, resulted in the recovery of 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of Rohypnol.

NDLEA Intensifies Drug Abuse Campaign

Beyond arrests and seizures, the NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns during the week.

The campaign was taken to schools, places of worship, workplaces and communities.

Beneficiaries included students and staff of Umar Bn Khattab College for Islamic Studies in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano; Markaz Al-Furqan Center of Islamic and Arabic Teaching in Kishi, Oyo State; the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State; and Mu’assasah Tahfizui Qur’an Islamiya School in Ibi, Taraba State.

Members of the Scout Association of Nigeria attending the first National Youth Camp in Benin City, Edo State, also participated in the campaign.

The Idiroko Special Area Command of the agency also paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Chairman of Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, Johnson Avoseh.

Marwa commended officers and men of the Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT Commands for their successful operations.

He urged NDLEA personnel to maintain a balanced approach to drug control by combining enforcement with prevention, public awareness and other measures aimed at reducing drug abuse across the country.