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101-year-old Esther Ogunmabo arrested in Ogun. The centenarian was allegedly selling 90 grammes of skunk in retail sachets after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. NDLEA said her daughter in Lagos allegedly supplied the cannabis every four days.
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NDLEA operatives in Akwa Ibom intercepted a wooden boat allegedly conveying narcotics to fishing settlements in Cameroon, recovering 20 grammes of cocaine cleverly concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava flour, popularly known as fufu.
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Two containers shipped from Thailand were intercepted at Apapa and Lekki ports, yielding about 1.49 tonnes of Loud, a potent cannabis product, in what the agency described as its first seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor.
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The latest operations also produced major seizures of tramadol, methamphetamine, codeine, diazepam, flunitrazepam and cannabis, while NDLEA operatives destroyed 10 tonnes of cannabis cultivated on four hectares of farmland in Ondo State.
August 23, (THEWILL) — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a disturbing mix of traditional and increasingly sophisticated methods being employed by drug traffickers across Nigeria, arresting a 101-year-old great-grandmother allegedly involved in retail cannabis dealing and intercepting cocaine concealed inside edible cassava flour popularly known as fufu.
The agency also seized large consignments of Loud, a potent cannabis product, worth more than ₦4.4 billion at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos, exposing a new maritime trafficking route allegedly being exploited by international drug syndicates to move illicit substances from Thailand into Nigeria.
The latest operations, carried out across several states and the country’s maritime borders, were disclosed by the NDLEA in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
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.
According to the agency, the centenarian admitted that she sold the substance to people in her community.
Ogunmabo reportedly told investigators that she turned to the illicit trade after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire, leaving her without her previous means of livelihood. She further disclosed that one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, allegedly arranged for supplies of the cannabis to be delivered to her every four days, after which she sold the substance in small quantities to local customers.
The unusual arrest prompted the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), to direct that the elderly suspect be granted bail and subjected to counselling because of her advanced age.
The agency, however, arrested her daughter in connection with the alleged supply chain.
Cocaine concealed in fufu
In Akwa Ibom State, the NDLEA uncovered another method of concealing narcotics when its operatives, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas on Friday, August 21.
The boat was allegedly transporting illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon, including Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung.
Three suspects were arrested during the operation. 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 found with 20 grammes of cocaine cleverly concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu. He also had 435 grammes of skunk in his possession.
The operation resulted in the recovery of a total of 42.622kg of narcotics from the three suspects.
₦4.4bn Thai Loud shipment intercepted
The biggest seizure in the latest operations occurred in Lagos, where NDLEA operatives intercepted two containers carrying cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki ports.
The combined street value of the consignments was put at more than ₦4.4 billion.
The agency said the seizures marked its first-ever interception of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor, raising concerns over the emergence of a new international trafficking route. Both containers had been loaded at the Port of Laem Chabang in Thailand.
At Apapa Port, a container declared as carrying dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries was subjected to a joint examination by NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant agencies on Friday, August 21.
Instead of the declared commodities, operatives discovered 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets, each weighing 500 grammes.
At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container that had been placed on the NDLEA watchlist was intercepted after being monitored by the agency’s Marine Special Operations Unit.
The container was jointly examined on Wednesday, August 19. Seven pallets wrapped in black nylon were discovered inside. Four of the pallets contained 96 cartons comprising 400 parcels of Thai Loud with a combined weight of 400kg.
The remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper, which investigators said had been used as a cover for the illicit consignment.
The seizures bring the combined quantity of Thai Loud recovered from the two containers to approximately 1.49 tonnes, underscoring the scale of the international trafficking operation.
Tramadol, methamphetamine, cannabis recovered
The nationwide operations also yielded major seizures of pharmaceutical opioids and other controlled substances.
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 22, intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 pills of tramadol capsules inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba.
A follow-up operation in Niger State led to the arrest of 28-year-old Sunday Eze, identified as the owner of the consignment, in Kontagora. He was subsequently transferred to Abuja for further investigation.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 21, intercepted a Toyota Starlet without a registration number along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery 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, a 65-year-old woman, Adebayo Kaosarat, was arrested at the Akobo-Ojuirin area of Ibadan on Friday with 4.68kg of assorted illicit substances.
The haul comprised 1.795kg of Scottish Loud, 1.66kg of tramadol, 600 grammes of codeine syrup, 125 grammes of diazepam and 50 grammes of flunitrazepam.
10 tonnes of cannabis destroyed in Ondo
The agency also intensified its assault on cannabis cultivation, particularly in forest areas where large plantations are established away from public view.
In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 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 on August 16. The operation resulted in the destruction of 10,000kg, or 10 tonnes, of skunk cultivated across four hectares of the forest.
In a separate operation in the state on the same day, operatives recovered 210kg of skunk at Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North Local Government Area.
A Toyota Camry with registration number AGL 223 JH, allegedly belonging to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, was also recovered. Anthony, however, remained at large.
More arrests in Kano, Lagos, Abia
In Kano State, an operation along Hadeija Road on Monday, August 17, led to the arrest of 31-year-old Chibuzor Madueke.
NDLEA said 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg were recovered from him.
At the Seme-Badagry axis of Lagos, operatives arrested three members of the same family—52-year-old Nasiru Tijjani and his two relatives, 27-year-old Moshood Tijjani and 27-year-old Salami Tijjani—with 48kg of skunk at Ashipa, near the Seme border.
In Abia State, NDLEA officers raided the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno at Umuobia Olokoro in Umuahia South Local Government Area on Thursday, August 20. The operation yielded 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of Rohypnol.
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NDLEA sustains prevention campaign
Beyond arrests and seizures, the NDLEA said its commands and formations continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across schools, religious institutions, workplaces and communities.
The agency listed enlightenment programmes conducted at Umar Bn Khattab College for Islamic Studies in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State; Markaz Al-Furqan Centre of Islamic and Arabic Teaching in Kishi, Oyo State; School of Nursing and Midwifery in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State; Mu’assasah Tahfizui Qur’an Islamiya School in Ibi, Taraba State; and the first National Youth Camp of the Scout Association of Nigeria 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.
While commending the officers and men of the Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT Commands for their operations, Marwa urged personnel across the country to sustain what he described as the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
