NDLEA Arrests South African Woman, US-Based Nigerian Grandmother in Major Drug Busts
… Agency Seizes 36.65kg Cocaine, 9.45kg Loud, Recovers Hundreds of Kilogrammes of Cannabis, Thousands of Opioid Pills
Oru Leonard
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother over the alleged importation of 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis, popularly known as loud, from the United States.
The arrests formed part of a series of nationwide anti-drug operations that resulted in the seizure of substantial quantities of illicit drugs across Lagos, Delta, Kano, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba and Oyo states.
According to a statement signed on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the South African suspect, identified as Qhina Beauty, was arrested on October 7, 2026, while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa through Doha.
A search of her two travel bags reportedly uncovered 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. The substance was mixed with dried pepper, wrapped in cellophane tape and packed into seven separate parcels.
During interrogation, Qhina allegedly told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to collect the consignment. She reportedly claimed that another South African woman recruited her and promised to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery.
She also allegedly identified two other individuals linked to the operation, including a person based in the United States and a Lagos-based car dealer.
Following further investigations, NDLEA operatives arrested the 46-year-old car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14 at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, after conducting surveillance around his residence in Shasha.
The suspect reportedly admitted receiving Qhina at the airport and arranging accommodation for her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin before moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her scheduled departure.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives arrested 62-year-old Anetor Gloria Ubong, a Nigerian-American realtor based in Richmond, Texas, following her arrival aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston on October 21.
The agency said a search of her two checked-in boxes led to the discovery of 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg. The substance was allegedly concealed in a box using gift-wrapping paper.
Ubong, who reportedly holds Nigerian and United States passports, claimed that her daughter and the daughter’s prospective brother-in-law delivered the box to her residence in the US for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola.
In Lagos, a special operations team of the NDLEA arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in the Eti Osa area on October 23.
The operation reportedly led to the recovery of 5,820 diazepam pills, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg of skunk cannabis and 230.25 litres of a locally produced psychoactive mixture known as skuchies.
In Delta State, operatives arrested 51-year-old Peter Ugochukwu in Warri, where they recovered a large quantity of pharmaceutical opioids and other substances.
The seized items included 29,350 tramadol capsules, 6,620 tablets of tramadol 200mg, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 Rohypnol tablets, 3,500 diazepam tablets, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection. Quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol were also recovered.
The suspect and a white Hummer bus were subsequently transferred to the NDLEA by the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State.
In another operation at Enhere Junction, Warri, operatives arrested 46-year-old Helen Bakporo Samson, a physically challenged woman, on October 19 and allegedly recovered 6kg of skunk cannabis from her.
In Kano State, NDLEA operatives raided the Gerawa area on October 22, arresting 30-year-old Murtala Lawan and recovering 159 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97.2kg.
In Taraba State, 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa was arrested at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area on October 23. Officers reportedly recovered 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.
On the same day, the Nigeria Police Force handed over another suspect to the NDLEA after his arrest at Dakka village in Bali Local Government Area. The suspect was allegedly found with 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.
In Bauchi State, NDLEA operatives arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, also known as Last Card, at Nasaru Town in Ningi Local Government Area on October 21.
The operation led to the seizure of 379kg of cannabis sativa packed in seven large sacks.
Meanwhile, in Niger State, 26-year-old Emmanuel Ekene was arrested on October 19 along the Sabo-Kainji Road in Borgu Local Government Area. He was allegedly found with 64,000 opioid pills, including tramadol and diazepam.
In Ondo State, operatives acting on intelligence raided a farm at Board-Ala in Akure South Local Government Area on October 20, recovering 56 abandoned bags of cannabis sativa weighing 583kg.
The agency also intensified operations against cannabis cultivation in Edo State, where two farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, were destroyed on October 18.
The farms had an estimated cannabis yield of 2,023.14kg. Operatives reportedly burnt 450kg of processed cannabis at the location and took another 97kg as exhibits.
In a related operation at Ewe community in Owan West, 42-year-old Mary Edokhai was arrested with 35kg of the psychoactive substance.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 41-year-old Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi in the Adamasingba area of Ibadan on October 19.
According to the agency, the suspect had previously escaped arrest after officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis sativa from his residence on September 16.
His subsequent arrest followed further efforts by the operatives to track him down.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its commands and formations across the country continued public sensitisation activities under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
The awareness programmes targeted students, teachers, worshippers, workers and community members in different parts of the country.
Schools that benefited from the campaign included Oje Grammar School in Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Day Secondary School, Kwamba, Niger State; Baptist Primary School, Olorunda, Ogun State; Government Secondary School, Yalea, Kano State; Community Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu State; Urban Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State; and Kelebe Community Grammar School, Osogbo, Osun State.
The NDLEA said the initiatives were designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and encourage collective action against substance misuse.
Commenting on the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and men of the MMIA, Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta commands for their vigilance, professionalism and intelligence-led operations.
Marwa urged officers across the country to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
The agency reiterated its commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks, preventing the circulation of illicit substances and strengthening public awareness of the dangers associated with drug abuse.
(NDLEA Media Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, October 25, 2026)
