The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcent Agency (NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa has directed that a 101 year-old grandmother arrested for being in possession of 90 grams of skunk be granted bail and place on counselling.
Spokesman of the Agency, Femi Babafemi who disclosed this on Sunday in a statement said Marwa gave the order because of the woman’s advanced age.
He said the 101-year-old suspect, Esther Ogunmabo, was arrested on Saturday, August 15, 2026 in Ilisan Remo, Ogun State, with retail sachets of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 90 grams, which she claims she sells to locals.
Babafemi said the centenarian told operatives that she resorted to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was gutted by fire.
According to her, one of her daughters, who resides in Lagos, arranges the supply of the substance to her every four days, which she in turn sell in bits.
Her daughter has since been arrested by operatives of the NDLEA, the statement said.
The Spokesman said the arrest of the woman and her daughter were among a string of significant breakthroughs recorded by the NDLEA across the country’s land and maritime borders in the past one week.
He listed others to include the interception of cocaine concealed in edible cassava flour popularly known as fufu, and the seizure of large consignments of Loud, a synthetic cannabis valued at over N4.4 billion at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos.
In Akwa Ibom State, Babafemi explained that NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence, on Friday, 21st August intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas conveying illicit drugs to fishing settlements in the Republic of Cameroon.
He stated that three suspects arrested on board the boat, which was heading to Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung fishing ports in Cameroon, include: Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29, caught with 1.120kg skunk; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33, who had 42.060kg of skunk in his possession; and 27-year-old Kingsley Effiong John, who was found with 20grams of cocaine cleverly concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu, alongside 435grams of skunk.
A total of 42.622kg of narcotics was recovered from the trio, he said.
The statement said : ” In the nation’s maritime space, the recorded its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor, following the interception of two containers of cannabis indica, also known as Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos with a combined street value put at over N4.4 billion.
“Both containers were loaded at the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, underscoring the emergence of a new trafficking route being exploited by drug syndicates to smuggle synthetic cannabis into the country.
“At the Apapa Port, a container, declared to be conveying dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries, was found, during a joint examination of the shipment on Friday 21st August by NDLEA, Customs and others, to contain 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons comprising 2,181 sachets of 500 grams each.
“At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, a similar container, which had been placed on the Agency’s watchlist and monitored by its Marine Special Operations Unit, was jointly examined on Wednesday, 19th August.
“Of the seven pallets found in the container wrapped in black nylon, four were confirmed to be laced with Thai Loud, yielding 96 cartons made up of 400 parcels weighing a total of 400kg.
“The remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper, which had been used as cover for the consignment.
“In the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, 22nd August intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 pills of tramadol capsules inside a hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba.
“A follow-up operation conducted in Niger State led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Sunday Eze, 28, in Kontagora, after which he was transferred to Abuja.
“Operatives in Ondo State on Wednesday 19th August raided a cannabis farm at Ijare forest, Ifedore Local Government Area, following the earlier arrest of three suspected cannabis planters at the same location on 16th August.
“The team destroyed a total of 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of the forest.
“In a separate operation in the state, operatives same day at Ita-Ogbolu, Akure North LGA, recovered 210kg skunk and a Toyota Camry car with registration number AGL 223 JH belonging to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who is currently at large.
“In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin expressway, Ilorin on Friday, 21st August intercepted a Toyota Starlet car without a registration number.
“A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 1.325kg of methamphetamine, wrapped in black nylon bags, alongside quantities of cannabis sativa.
“One suspect, Muhammadu Usman, 22, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
“A 65-year-old woman, Adebayo Kaosarat, was arrested at Akobo-Ojuirin area of Ibadan, Oyo State on Friday, 21st August with a cocktail of substances comprising 1.795kg of Scottish Loud, 1.66kg of tramadol, 600g of codeine syrup, 125g of diazepam and 50g of flunitrazepam, totalling 4.68kg.
“A raid at Hadeija road, Kano, on Monday, 17th August led to the arrest of Chibuzor Madueke, 31, with 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg recovered from him, while a similar operation by NDLEA operatives at Seme, Badagry area of Lagos led to the arrest of three family members: Nasiru Tijjani, 52; Moshood Tijjani, 27; and Salami Tijjani, 27, at Ashipa area, near the Seme border, with 48kg of skunk.
“In Abia State, NDLEA officers on Thursday, 20th August raided the residence of Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno, 36, at Umuobia Olokoro area of Umuahia South LGA, where 14.4kg Loud, 2.3kg Colorado, 386grams of tramadol and 134grams of rohypnol were recovered, ” the statement explained.
The NDLEA said with the same vigour, its various commands and formations across the country intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others during the week under review.
It said the sensitization activities include ; WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Umar Bn Khattab College for Islamic Studies, Ungogo LGA, Kano; Markaz Al-Furqan Centre of Islamic and Arabic Teaching, Kishi, Oyo State; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State; Mu’assasah Tahfizui Qur’an Islamiya School, Ibi, Taraba; and members of the Boy Scouts Association of Nigeria at the first National Youth Camp held in Benin City, Edo State, while the Idiroko Special Area Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Chairman of Ipokia LGA, Ogun State, Hon. Johnson Avoseh, among others.
In his reaction to the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, retired Brig. -Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended officers and men of Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT Commands for their various successful operations.
Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
