NDLEA Arrests 101-Year-Old Woman, Seizes N4.4bn Loud, Cocaine, Meth, Skunk, Opioids

Oru Leonard 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 101-year-old woman for alleged involvement in the sale of illicit drugs, while operatives also intercepted cocaine concealed in edible cassava flour, popularly known as fufu, in a series of nationwide operations.

The latest operations also led to the seizure of cannabis strains, methamphetamine, tramadol, codeine, diazepam and other controlled substances, including two consignments of Loud worth more than N4.4 billion intercepted at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos.

In Ogun State, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 15, arrested 101-year-old Esther Ogunmabo at Ilisan with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets.

The centenarian reportedly told investigators that she turned to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. She allegedly disclosed that one of her daughters, based in Lagos, supplied the cannabis to her every four days, which she subsequently sold in small quantities to local customers.

However, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and subjected to counselling because of her advanced age. Her daughter was subsequently arrested.

In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas on Friday, August 21, allegedly conveying illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon.

Three suspects were arrested aboard the boat, which was reportedly heading towards Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung fishing ports in Cameroon.

Those arrested were Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29, with 1.120kg of skunk; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33, with 42.060kg of skunk; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27, who allegedly concealed 20 grammes of cocaine inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu.

John was also found with 435 grammes of skunk, bringing the total quantity of narcotics recovered from the three suspects to 42.622kg.

N4.4bn Loud seized at Lagos ports
At the nation’s maritime gateways, the NDLEA recorded what it described as its first seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor following the interception of two containers of cannabis indica, commonly known as Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki ports.

The combined street value of the consignments was put at more than N4.4 billion.

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

At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container that had been placed on the NDLEA watchlist was jointly examined on Wednesday, August 19, following monitoring by the Agency’s Marine Special Operations Unit.

Four of the seven pallets found inside the container were confirmed to contain Thai Loud. The consignment comprised 96 cartons containing 400 parcels weighing 400kg, while the remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper allegedly used as cover.

The containers were both loaded at the Port of Laem Chabang in Thailand, highlighting what the NDLEA described as an emerging trafficking route being exploited by drug syndicates.
24,410 tramadol pills intercepted in Abuja.

In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 22, intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 pills of tramadol capsules concealed inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba.

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.

In Ondo State, operatives on August 19 raided a cannabis farm in Ijare forest, Ifedore Local Government Area, following the earlier arrest of three suspected cannabis cultivators at the location.

The operation led to the destruction of 10,000kg of skunk cultivated on four hectares of the forest.

In another operation at Ita-Ogbolu, Akure North LGA, 210kg of skunk was recovered alongside a Toyota Camry car belonging to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who is currently at large.

More arrests, seizures across states
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway on Friday, August 21, intercepted a Toyota Starlet without a registration number.

A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 1.325kg of methamphetamine and quantities of cannabis sativa. A 22-year-old suspect, Muhammadu Usman, was arrested.

In Oyo State, a 65-year-old woman, Adebayo Kaosarat, was arrested at Akobo-Ojuirin, Ibadan, with 1.795kg of Scottish Loud, 1.66kg of tramadol, 600 grammes of codeine syrup, 125 grammes of diazepam and 50 grammes of flunitrazepam, with the total weight put at 4.68kg.

In Kano State, a raid along Hadeija Road on August 17 led to the arrest of 31-year-old Chibuzor Madueke, from whom 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg were recovered.

At Seme, in the Badagry area of Lagos, three members of the Tijjani family — Nasiru Tijjani, 52; Moshood Tijjani, 27; and Salami Tijjani, 27 — were arrested at Ashipa near the Seme border with 48kg of skunk.

In Abia State, NDLEA operatives on August 20 raided the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno at Umuobia Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA.

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

NDLEA intensifies anti-drug campaign
Beyond arrests and seizures, NDLEA Commands and formations across the country sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.

The Agency conducted enlightenment programmes at Umar Bn Khattab College for Islamic Studies in Kano, Markaz Al-Furqan Centre 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 also participated in a WADA sensitisation programme during the first National Youth Camp in Benin City, Edo State.

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

Commending the officers and men of the Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT Commands, Marwa urged personnel across the country to sustain the Agency’s balanced approach to drug control.

He said the NDLEA would continue to combine enforcement operations with prevention, public awareness and counselling as part of efforts to curb illicit drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.

(NDLEA Media, 23 August,2026)