Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency carried out a series of raids across Nigeria last week that led to the arrest of a 101-year-old woman, the interception of cocaine stuffed inside fufu, and the seizure of illicit drugs valued at more than N4.4 billion.
The oldest suspect, Esther Ogunmabo, was picked up on August 15, 2026, in Ilisan, Ogun State. NDLEA said she was found with 90 grammes of skunk, a strong strain of cannabis, which she allegedly sold in small quantities. In her statement, Ogunmabo said she resorted to selling drugs after her provisions shop was gutted by fire. She also told operatives that a daughter based in Lagos supplied her with cannabis every four days. Because of her age, NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) ordered that she be released on bail and put on counselling. Her daughter was arrested.
Three days later in Akwa Ibom, NDLEA officers stopped a wooden boat heading toward fishing communities in Cameroon. They arrested three people and recovered 42.622kg of drugs. The haul included 42.06kg of skunk, another 1.12kg of skunk, 435 grammes of skunk, and 20 grammes of cocaine. The cocaine was hidden inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu.
The Agency also recorded its first major drug seizure from Thailand through Nigeria’s seaports. At Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos, two containers were intercepted. The Apapa container was declared to carry dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries, but NDLEA found 1,090.5kg of cannabis indica, popularly called Thai Loud. The Lekki container yielded another 400kg. Together, the two shipments were valued at over N4.4 billion.
In the FCT, officers on August 22 stopped a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba and intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 tramadol capsules. A follow-up operation in Kontagora, Niger State, led to the arrest of 28-year-old Sunday Eze, named as the owner.
Other operations last week included:
- Ondo: 10,000kg of skunk destroyed on four hectares of farmland in Ijare forest, Ifedore LGA. Separately, 210kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry were recovered at Ita-Ogbolu.
- Kwara: 1.325kg of methamphetamine and cannabis seized.
- Oyo: 4.68kg of assorted drugs recovered from a 65-year-old woman.
- Kano: 73.3kg of skunk intercepted.
- Lagos, near Seme: 48kg of skunk seized from three family members.
- Abia: 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, tramadol and Rohypnol recovered.
Alongside the enforcement push, NDLEA said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across several states.
Marwa commended the officers involved and urged commands to keep up the Agency’s three-pronged approach of enforcement, prevention and public education.
