NDLEA Arrests 83-Year-Old Repeat Offender, South African Woman Over Drug Trafficking

Oru Leonard 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, for allegedly dealing in illicit drugs barely a year after she was convicted of a similar offence.

The agency also arrested a South African woman, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 32.74 kilogrammes of cannabis concealed in two travelling bags at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State.

The arrests were part of a series of nationwide operations that led to the seizure of large consignments of illicit drugs in Lagos, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River and Ondo states, as well as the recovery of firearms and ammunition in Plateau State.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the 83-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.

Babafemi said operatives recovered quantities of methamphetamine and Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, allegedly tied around her waist with a wrapper.

Her arrest followed intelligence reports that she operated a notorious drug joint allegedly harbouring criminal elements terrorising the community.

The octogenarian was previously arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence.

The earlier operation reportedly led to the seizure of 50 grammes of methamphetamine, 522 grammes of skunk, 260 grammes of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grammes of tramadol.

The statement said both women pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or an option of a ₦200,000 fine each. They reportedly paid the fines and were released.

However, the agency alleged that Uloma returned to the illicit drug trade and subsequently established a drug joint.

At the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State, NDLEA operatives working with the Nigeria Customs Service arrested a South African national, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 30 parcels of Thai Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 32.74 kilogrammes.

The substance was allegedly concealed in two travelling bags.

According to the statement, the suspect travelled from Thailand through Doha, Qatar, aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431.

She reportedly confessed to having previously trafficked drugs through other African countries and was attempting to expand her operations to Port Harcourt when she was arrested.

The NDLEA has also reported Intercepting nine cartons of pharmaceutical consignments shipped from Pakistan aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight at the Import Shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The shipment, which arrived on September 29, was placed under surveillance before a joint examination on October 6 uncovered 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 307.20 kilogrammes.

In a separate operation, officers intercepted a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom containing six Ghana-Must-Go bags filled with 70 parcels of Colorado weighing 75.90 kilogrammes.

The shipment reportedly arrived on September 29 and was subsequently monitored by the agency.

A clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was arrested on September 30. Other suspects arrested in connection with the consignment included Taofiq Ajibola, 54, an Uber driver; Adetunji Adebayo; and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader.

Ajibola allegedly said the drugs were sent by a UK-based associate identified as Lukman Sa’idu, while Dosunmu reportedly linked his consignment to another UK-based individual identified as Yusuf.

In another Lagos operation, a suspect, Musbau Balogun Adekunle, was arrested in Orile on October 6 with 32.51 kilogrammes of skunk and 52.65 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 85.16 kilogrammes.

The operation led to the recovery of 181 bags of cannabis weighing 1,100 kilogrammes and an additional 17.15 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, operatives intercepted a black Toyota Camry at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on October 5.

The vehicle was allegedly conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83 kilogrammes.

Three suspects—Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20—were arrested in connection with the seizure.

In a separate raid at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, 26-year-old Ojugo Mercy was arrested with 989 grammes of Loud, 13 grammes of Colorado and 83 grammes of methamphetamine.

In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 21-year-old Happy Endurance at her hideout in the Shasha area of Akure on October 5, recovering 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290 kilogrammes.

On the same day, a raid on an apartment in Oba-Ile, Akure, led to the arrest of 42-year-old Tunde Adebayo, with 35 bags of cannabis weighing 351 kilogrammes.

In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village in Wukari Local Government Area on October 9.

The operation resulted in the seizure of 166,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 107 kilogrammes.

In Kano State, a stop-and-search operation along the Kano-Maiduguri Road on the same day led to the arrest of 32-year-old Yahaya Musa.

The agency recovered 24,990 capsules of tramadol, 50,000 tablets of Diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5 from the suspect.

Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway arrested 29-year-old Mohammed Musa with 31 jumbo bags and 775 blocks of skunk, with a combined weight of 1,027 kilogrammes.

In Plateau State, NDLEA operatives recovered assorted firearms and ammunition during a raid on the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju at Rukuba Road, Jos, on October 8.

Items seized included 47 grammes of methamphetamine, two pump-action rifles, one locally made gun, 199 live cartridges, five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and one round of 9mm ammunition.

The agency said the operation formed part of its broader efforts to combat drug trafficking and related criminal activities.

Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its commands and formations continued public enlightenment activities under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.

The sensitisation programmes targeted students and staff of schools, religious institutions, workplaces and communities across the country.

Among the institutions reached were Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Ehugbo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; Madarasatul Tarbiyatul Islamiya, Galangalan Tudun Wada, Kano State; Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos State; and Manbahu Ridwanullah Nursery and Primary School, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers and men of the Lagos, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Port Harcourt International Airport, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven operations.

Marwa urged them and their colleagues nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement with public education and preventive measures.