Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother, Esther Ogunmabo, in Ilisan, Ogun State, for selling cannabis, marking one of the oldest suspects ever detained in Nigeria's drug enforcement history. The arrest occurred on Saturday, August 15, 2026, during a series of coordinated operations that also saw the interception of cocaine hidden inside a wrap of cassava fufu in Akwa Ibom State and the seizure of synthetic cannabis worth over N4.4 billion at two Lagos ports.
Centenarian's Arrest and Admission
NDLEA operatives found Ogunmabo with retail sachets of skunk weighing 90 grams, which she admitted selling to people in her area. She told the agency that she turned to drug dealing after a fire destroyed her provisions shop, and that one of her daughters, based in Lagos, supplied the substance to her every four days for onward sale.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued via the agency's X handle @ndlea_nigeria on Sunday, August 23, 2026. NDLEA Chairman Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) ordered that she be granted bail and placed on counselling due to her age. Babafemi confirmed that her daughter has since been arrested.
Illicit Drugs Hidden in Fufu in Akwa Ibom
In Akwa Ibom State, acting on intelligence, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas on Friday, August 21, 2026. The vessel was carrying drugs bound for fishing settlements in Cameroon, specifically the Ine Isu, Ine Mbah, and Ine Ikot Itie Udung ports.
Three suspects were arrested on board: Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29, who had 1.120kg of skunk; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33, found with 42.060kg of skunk; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27, who was caught with 20 grams of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of cassava fufu, along with 435 grams of skunk. A total of 42.622kg of narcotics was recovered from the three suspects.
N4.4bn Thai Loud Seized at Lagos Ports
In a historic breakthrough at Nigeria's maritime ports, NDLEA recorded its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped through the maritime corridor from Thailand, after two containers of cannabis indica, commonly called Loud, were intercepted at the Apapa and Lekki Deep Sea ports.
Both containers were loaded at the Port of Laem Chabang in Thailand. At Apapa Port, a container declared to hold dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap, and inverter batteries was jointly examined on August 21 by NDLEA, Customs, and other agencies. It was found to contain 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons comprising 2,181 sachets of 500 grams each.
At Lekki Deep Sea Port, a second container monitored by the Agency's Marine Special Operations Unit was examined on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Four of its seven pallets were confirmed to carry Thai Loud, yielding 96 cartons with 400 parcels totalling 400kg. The remaining three pallets held 798 reams of A4 paper used to conceal the drugs.
Related Courier Seizure and Socialite Arrest
In a related development, NDLEA operatives intercepted 184.5 kilogrammes of illicit drugs hidden in a courier company consignment bound for the UK, Europe, and Asia. The agency described the bust as the largest illicit drugs seizure from a courier firm in its entire history. Two suspects, including socialite KC Luxury, were arrested in connection with the drug shipment.
These operations underscore the NDLEA's intensified crackdown on drug trafficking across Nigeria's land and maritime borders, with the agency continuing to track and dismantle supply networks.
