The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother, Esther Ogunmabo, for allegedly dealing in cannabis in Ilisan, Ogun State.
The arrest was made as the anti-narcotics agency recorded a series of major drug interceptions across the country, including cocaine allegedly concealed in edible cassava flour, thousands of tramadol capsules and large consignments of cannabis.
In one of the biggest seizures, the NDLEA intercepted 1,490.5 kilogrammes of cannabis indica, popularly known as Thai Loud, worth more than N4.4 billion at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos.
The agency described the seizure as its first interception of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the operations in a statement on Sunday.
According to Babafemi, operatives arrested Ogunmabo on Saturday, August 15, 2026, after she was found with 90 grammes of skunk packaged in retail sachets.
The 101-year-old reportedly admitted selling the substance to residents in the community, explaining that she turned to the illicit trade after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire.
She also disclosed that one of her daughters, who resides in Lagos, supplied her with cannabis every four days, which she sold in smaller quantities.
Following the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), directed that the centenarian be granted bail and subjected to counselling because of her advanced age.
Her daughter was, however, arrested in connection with the case.
In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas on Friday, August 21.
The vessel was allegedly transporting illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon. Three suspects were arrested aboard the boat while heading towards Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung fishing ports in the neighbouring country.
The suspects were identified as 29-year-old Etima Effiong Eekpo, 33-year-old Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh and 27-year-old Kingsley Effiong John.
Eekpo was found with 1.120kg of skunk, while Etukudoh had 42.060kg of the substance.
John was arrested with 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava flour, popularly known as fufu. He was also found with 435 grammes of skunk.
The total quantity of narcotics recovered from the three suspects was 42.622kg.
At the Apapa Port, the NDLEA, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders, examined a container declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries.
The inspection uncovered 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets of 500 grammes each.
At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container placed on the NDLEA watchlist was intercepted following surveillance by the agency’s Marine Special Operations Unit.
A joint examination of the container on Wednesday, August 19, led to the discovery of seven pallets wrapped in black nylon.
Four pallets contained 400kg of Thai Loud packed in 96 cartons and 400 parcels, while the remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper allegedly used to conceal the illicit consignment.
Babafemi said both containers originated from the Port of Laem Chabang in Thailand, suggesting that international drug trafficking syndicates may be exploiting a new maritime route into Nigeria.
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 tramadol capsules hidden inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba on Saturday, August 22.
A follow-up operation in Niger State led to the arrest of 28-year-old Sunday Eze, identified as the owner of the consignment. He was subsequently transferred to Abuja.
In Ondo State, operatives raided a cannabis farm in Ijare Forest, Ifedore Local Government Area, on Wednesday, August 19.
The operation resulted in the destruction of 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of forest, following the earlier arrest of three suspected cannabis cultivators at the location.
In a separate operation at Ita-Ogbolu, Akure North Local Government Area, 210kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry were recovered. The vehicle, with registration number AGL 223 JH, was reportedly linked to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who remains at large.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway intercepted a Toyota Starlet without a registration number.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 1.325kg of methamphetamine wrapped in black nylon bags, alongside quantities of cannabis sativa. A 22-year-old suspect, Muhammadu Usman, was arrested.
In Oyo State, a 65-year-old woman, Adebayo Kaosarat, was arrested in the Akobo-Ojuirin area of Ibadan.
According to the NDLEA, she was found with 1.795kg of Scottish Loud, 1.66kg of tramadol, 600 grammes of codeine syrup, 125 grammes of diazepam and 50 grammes of flunitrazepam, with a combined weight of 4.68kg.
In Kano State, operatives raided Hadeija Road on Monday, August 17, arresting 31-year-old Chibuzor Madueke and recovering 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg.
Three members of the same family were also arrested at Ashipa, near the Seme border in Lagos State.
The suspects—52-year-old Nasiru Tijjani and his two relatives, Moshood Tijjani and Salami Tijjani, both 27—were allegedly found with 48kg of skunk.
In Abia State, NDLEA officers raided the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno at Umuobia Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area, on Thursday, August 20.
The operation yielded 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of Rohypnol.
Marwa commended officers and men of the Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT Commands for the successful operations.
He urged NDLEA personnel nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control by combining enforcement operations with prevention, public sensitisation, counselling and other measures aimed at curbing illicit drug trafficking and abuse.
