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NDLEA arrests 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, popularly called “Mama Grace”, after allegedly recovering 15 bags of cannabis weighing 179kg from her home in Warake, Edo State.
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Five other suspects were arrested in coordinated raids as operatives seized more than 407kg of cannabis and quantities of loud, tramadol, diazepam and Swinol.
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Ehimeka allegedly admitted ownership of the cannabis, telling investigators she had been selling the substance for more than two years to survive as a widow despite warnings from family members.
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NDLEA says age will not shield suspected traffickers from the law as the Edo Command intensifies intelligence-led operations against illicit drug networks.
October 20, (THEWILL) – The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 85-year-old woman, Grace Ehimeka, popularly known as “Mama Grace”, after operatives allegedly recovered 15 bags of cannabis weighing 179 kilogrammes from her residence.
Ehimeka was arrested alongside five other suspected drug traffickers during coordinated intelligence-led raids across communities in Edo State, which yielded more than 407kg of cannabis and other illicit substances.
The Commander of the NDLEA in Edo State, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed the arrests in a statement made available to journalists in Benin City on Monday.
Ofoyeju said the operations resulted in the seizure of 407.39kg of cannabis, 546 grammes of loud, 114 grammes of tramadol, four grammes of diazepam and three grammes of Swinol.
The five other suspects were identified as Ali Garba, 57; Habib Braimoh, 45; Musa Mubid, 35; Ayo Aigberadion, 53; and Hope Okoro, 35.
According to Ofoyeju, Ehimeka was arrested at her residence in Warake community on October 16, following intelligence received by the agency.
He said operatives recovered 15 bags of cannabis weighing 179kg from the premises, adding that the octogenarian allegedly admitted ownership of the drugs in her statement to investigators.
Ofoyeju warned that advanced age would not provide immunity from prosecution for anyone found violating Nigeria’s drug laws.
“The NDLEA Act is clear: you cannot hide under the canopy of old age and perpetrate acts that violate the law. The octogenarian, Grace Ehimeka, was apprehended on October 16, 2026, in her house at Warake community. This is a bad example for her children and grandchildren”, he said.
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According to the NDLEA, Ehimeka pleaded for forgiveness during interrogation, claiming she ventured into cannabis trading more than two years ago as a means of survival following the death of her husband.
“I am a widow and started selling cannabis over two years ago just to survive. My family members have warned me to stop, but I kept postponing my decision to stop. Officers, if you give me another chance, I will never sell cannabis again”, she was quoted as saying.
Giving details of the other operations, Ofoyeju said Garba was arrested in Ivbiaro on October 15 with 5.85kg of cannabis, while Braimoh was apprehended in the same community on the same day with 100 grammes of the substance.
Mubid was arrested in Warake with two kilogrammes of cannabis, 309 grammes of cannabis seeds, 114 grammes of loud and 135 grammes of assorted pharmaceutical drugs, including tramadol, Swinol and diazepam.
The Command said Aigberadion was arrested at Ewe/Irue in Owan East Local Government Area on October 16 with 220.8kg of cannabis.
Ofoyeju also disclosed that Okoro was arrested with 237 grammes of Loud.
The arrests, according to the command, are part of renewed operations to dismantle illicit drug distribution networks and curb the trafficking and abuse of narcotic substances.
Ofoyeju said the agency would sustain its enforcement operations across the state and urged residents to provide timely and credible information that could help operatives identify suspected drug dealers, storage facilities and trafficking networks.
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.
