Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother, Esther Ogunmabo, for allegedly dealing in illicit drugs in Ilisan, Ogun State.
Ogunmabo was arrested on Saturday, August 15, 2026, with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets for sale to residents in the community.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the centenarian told operatives that she turned to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire.
She reportedly said one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, supplied her with the substance every four days, which she then sold in small quantities.
Babafemi said NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and placed on counselling because of her advanced age. Her daughter was also arrested.
Meanwhile, the agency reported several other major drug seizures and arrests across the country.
In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas on Friday, August 21, allegedly transporting illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon.
Three suspects — Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27 — were arrested.
A total of 42.622kg of narcotics was recovered from the suspects, including skunk and cocaine. John was allegedly found with 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu, alongside 435 grammes of skunk.
The NDLEA also announced its first recorded seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor.
Two containers intercepted at the Apapa and Lekki ports were found to contain cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, with a combined street value 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 found to contain 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets.
At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container under NDLEA surveillance was found to contain 400kg of Thai Loud concealed among seven pallets. The remaining pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper, which investigators said had been used as cover for the drug consignment.
In the Federal Capital Territory, operatives intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 tramadol capsules concealed 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, NDLEA officers destroyed 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of farmland in Ijare forest, Ifedore Local Government Area.
The operation followed the arrest of three suspected cannabis farmers at the same location on August 16.
In another operation at Ita-Ogbolu, Akure North Local Government Area, operatives recovered 210kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry allegedly belonging to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who remains at large.
In Kano State, a raid on Hadeija Road on August 17 led to the arrest of 31-year-old Chibuzor Madueke, with 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg recovered from him.
Similarly, three members of the same family — Nasiru Tijjani, 52; Moshood Tijjani, 27; and Salami Tijjani, 27 — were arrested at Ashipa near the Seme border in Lagos State, with 48kg of skunk.
In Abia State, NDLEA officers raided the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno in Umuobia Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area, recovering 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of rohypnol.
Marwa commended officers of the Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT Commands for the operations.
He urged NDLEA personnel across the country to sustain what he described as the agency’s balanced approach to combating drug trafficking and abuse.
