NDLEA Arrests 101-Year-Old Woman, Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Fufu, Seizes N4.4bn Thai Loud

NDLEA Arrests 101-Year-Old Woman, Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Fufu, Seizes N4.4bn Thai Loud

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded major breakthroughs in its ongoing nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking, with operations leading to the arrest of a 101-year-old woman in Ogun State, the interception of cocaine concealed in edible cassava flour, and the seizure of more than N4.4 billion worth of synthetic cannabis at two Lagos ports.

The latest operations, which spanned Nigeria’s land, maritime and inland corridors, also resulted in the seizure of large quantities of cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol and other controlled substances, as the Agency intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.

101-year-old woman arrested in Ogun

In one of the most unusual cases, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 15, 2026, arrested 101-year-old Esther Ogunmabo at Ilisan, Ogun State, with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis packaged in retail sachets.

The centenarian reportedly told investigators that she had turned to selling the substance after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. She allegedly disclosed that one of her daughters, based in Lagos, supplied the cannabis to her every four days, which she then sold in small quantities to local customers.

However, considering her advanced age, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and subjected to counselling. Her daughter was subsequently arrested in connection with the case.

Cocaine concealed inside cassava flour

In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas on Friday, August 21, allegedly conveying illicit drugs towards fishing settlements in Cameroon.

Three suspects were arrested aboard the boat, which was reportedly heading towards Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung fishing ports in Cameroon.

They were identified as Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27.

A total of 42.622kg of narcotics was recovered from the suspects, including 1.120kg of skunk from Eekpo and 42.060kg of skunk from Etukudoh.

John was found with 20 grammes of cocaine cleverly concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava flour, popularly known as fufu, alongside 435 grammes of skunk.

NDLEA seizes N4.4bn Thai Loud at Lagos ports

The Agency also announced what it described as its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor, following the interception of two containers of cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos.

The combined street value of the consignments was estimated at more than N4.4 billion.

At Apapa Port, a container declared to contain 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 agencies on Friday, August 21.

The inspection uncovered 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud concealed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets of 500 grammes each.

At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container monitored by the NDLEA Marine Special Operations Unit was examined on Wednesday, August 19. Four of seven pallets inside the container were found to contain 400kg of Thai Loud, packed in 96 cartons comprising 400 parcels.

The remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper, which investigators said had been used to conceal the drug shipment.

Both containers originated from Laem Chabang Port in Thailand, raising concerns over the emergence of a new international trafficking route being exploited by drug syndicates.

More arrests and seizures across the country

In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 22, intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 tramadol capsules inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba. A follow-up operation in Niger State led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 28-year-old Sunday Eze, in Kontagora.

In Ondo State, operatives raided a cannabis farm in Ijare Forest, Ifedore Local Government Area, following the arrest of three suspected cultivators at the location on August 16. The operation resulted in the destruction of 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares.

A separate operation at Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North LGA led to the recovery of 210kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry allegedly belonging to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who remains at large.

In Kwara State, officers intercepted a Toyota Starlet along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway on August 21, recovering 1.325kg of methamphetamine and quantities of cannabis. A 22-year-old suspect, Muhammadu Usman, was arrested.

In Ibadan, Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 65-year-old Adebayo Kaosarat at Akobo-Ojuirin with a combination of illicit substances weighing approximately 4.68kg, including Scottish Loud, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam and flunitrazepam.

Other operations resulted in the arrest of Chibuzor Madueke, 31, in Kano with 73.3kg of skunk, while three members of the Tijjani family—Nasiru Tijjani, 52; Moshood Tijjani, 27; and Salami Tijjani, 27—were arrested near the Seme border in Lagos with 48kg of skunk.

In Abia State, a raid on the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno in Umuobia Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA, led to the recovery of 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of Rohypnol.

NDLEA intensifies drug-abuse prevention campaign

Beyond arrests and seizures, NDLEA Commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes in schools, religious institutions, workplaces and communities.

The Agency conducted awareness programmes in Kano, Oyo, Kebbi, Taraba and Edo states, while the Idiroko Special Area Command visited the Chairman of Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, Hon. Johnson Avoseh, as part of its advocacy campaign.

Commending the officers involved in the various operations, NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) urged personnel across the country to sustain what he described as a balanced approach to drug control—combining enforcement with prevention, public awareness and rehabilitation.

The latest operations underline the Agency’s continuing efforts to disrupt domestic and international drug-trafficking networks, protect communities and prevent illicit substances from reaching Nigeria’s streets.

NDLEA Arrests 101-Year-Old Woman, Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Fufu, Seizes N4.4bn Thai Loud