Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 101-year-old woman in Ogun State for alleged cannabis dealing, while also intercepting cocaine concealed inside edible cassava flour popularly known as fufu in a series of operations across Nigeria.
The NDLEA said the operations conducted in different parts of the country, resulted in the seizure of various illicit drugs with a combined street value of more than ₦4.4 billion. The agency also arrested several suspects and destroyed cannabis farms as part of its ongoing nationwide drug enforcement campaign.
The centenarian who identifies as Esther Ogunmabo, was arrested on August 15, 2026, in Ilisan, Ogun State. According to the NDLEA, she was found with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, and allegedly admitted that she sold the substance in small quantities.
During interrogation, Ogunmabo reportedly told investigators that she began dealing in cannabis after a fire destroyed her provisions shop. She allegedly explained that one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, supplied her with cannabis every four days.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) who is the NDLEA Chairman, subsequently directed that the 101-year-old suspect be granted bail and referred for counselling because of her advanced age. The agency said her daughter was arrested in connection with the alleged supply of the cannabis.
In a separate operation in Akwa Ibom State on August 21, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat suspected of transporting illicit drugs towards fishing settlements in Cameroon. Three suspects were arrested during the operation, while 42.622 kilogrammes of narcotics were recovered.
Among the drugs seized from the boat was cocaine weighing 20 grammes, which investigators said had been cleverly concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu. The operation also resulted in the recovery of various quantities of skunk, including consignments weighing 42.06kg, 1.12kg and 435 grammes.
The agency also announced the interception of two containers containing cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, which were shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor. The NDLEA described the seizure as its first interception of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime route.
One of the containers intercepted at the Apapa Port in Lagos had been declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries. However, NDLEA operatives discovered 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud inside the container. A second container intercepted at the Lekki Port contained another 400kg of the same substance. The combined street value of the two consignments was estimated by the agency at more than ₦4.4 billion.
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA officers intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 tramadol capsules. The packages were discovered inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu towards Zuba on August 22. A follow-up investigation led officers to Niger State, where the alleged owner of the consignment, 28-year-old Sunday Eze, was arrested in Kontagora.
The agency also reported major cannabis seizures and destruction operations in Ondo State. Operatives destroyed approximately 10,000kg of skunk cultivated on four hectares of farmland in Ijare forest, Ifedore Local Government Area. In a separate operation at Ita-Ogbolu, officers recovered 210kg of skunk along with a Toyota Camry.
Other states also recorded significant seizures during the nationwide operations. In Kwara State, NDLEA officers recovered 1.325kg of methamphetamine and cannabis, while in Oyo State, 4.68kg of assorted illicit drugs was recovered from a 65-year-old woman.
In Kano State, operatives seized 73.3kg of skunk, while officers operating around the Seme area of Lagos State recovered 48kg of skunk from three members of the same family. In Abia State, the agency reported the seizure of 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, tramadol and Rohypnol.
Beyond arrests and seizures, the NDLEA said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programme across several parts of the country. The campaign has involved engagements in schools, places of worship, workplaces and communities as part of the agency’s prevention and public education efforts.
Marwa commended officers and personnel involved in the operations for their efforts in disrupting the trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs. He also urged them to maintain the agency’s approach, which combines enforcement operations with drug prevention, counselling and public education.
The latest operations highlight the variety of methods allegedly used by drug traffickers to move illicit substances, including concealing drugs in food products, transporting consignments by boat and disguising narcotics shipments through legitimate cargo declarations.
