Key Takeaways
- NDLEA operatives arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother in Ogun State for selling skunk.
- A wooden boat headed for Cameroon was intercepted with 42.622kg of narcotics, including cocaine hidden in fufu.
- Two containers of Thai Loud cannabis valued at over N44 billion were seized at Apapa and Lekki ports.
- Authorities also recovered tramadol, methamphetamine, and destroyed a four-hectare cannabis farm in other states.
Centenarian Caught in Ogun Drug Bust
In what the agency called a rare and startling development, NDLEA operatives arrested 101-year-old great-grandmother Esther Ogunmabo in Ilisan, Ogun State, with retail sachets of skunk weighing 90 grams. The centenarian allegedly told investigators she entered the illicit trade after her provisions shop was razed by fire. Her daughter, based in Lagos, reportedly supplied the drug every four days, and Ogunmabo sold it in small quantities to locals.
NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) directed that the elderly suspect be granted bail and placed on counselling due to her advanced age. Her daughter, who arranged the supply, has been arrested.
Smuggling on the High Seas
In Akwa Ibom State, acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat heading for fishing settlements in the Republic of Cameroon. Three suspects were arrested at sea: Etima Effiong Eekpo, Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, and Kingsley Effiong John. The operation yielded a total of 42.622kg of narcotics, including 20 grams of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu.
N44bn Thai Cannabis Seized at Lagos Ports
The agency recorded its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor. Two containers loaded at Laem Chabang, Thailand, were intercepted at Apapa and Lekki ports. The haul of cannabis indica, known as Loud, has a combined street value above N44 billion.
At Apapa Port, a shipment declared as dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap, and inverter batteries was found to contain 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 2,181 sachets of 500 grams each. At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, a watched container yielded 400kg of Thai Loud hidden among pallets of A4 paper.
Other Major Operations Across Nigeria
In the Federal Capital Territory, operatives intercepted 24,410 tramadol capsules in a hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba. A follow-up arrest landed Sunday Eze in Kontagora, Niger State. In Ondo State, officials raided a cannabis farm in Ijare forest and destroyed 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares. Another operation in Ita-Ogbolu recovered 210kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry. On the Ogbomosho-Ilorin expressway, officers recovered 1,325kg of methamphetamine and arrested 22-year-old Muhammadu Usman.
Why This Matters
These coordinated busts reveal the resilience and changing tactics of drug syndicates, including the use of an elderly seller and new maritime routes. The NDLEA's multi-state successes show how intelligence-led policing is critical to disrupting supply chains and protecting Nigerian communities.