The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 101-year-old woman, Esther Ogunmabo, for allegedly selling cannabis in sachets in Ilisan, Ogun State.
The agency said Ogunmabo was arrested on August 15 with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, which she allegedly sold in small quantities to residents.
According to the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the centenarian told operatives that she turned to the illicit trade after her provision store was destroyed by fire.
Babafemi said Ogunmabo also disclosed that one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, allegedly supplied the cannabis to her every four days for retail distribution.
“NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 15, 2026, arrested a 101-year-old woman, Esther Ogunmabo, in Ilisan, Ogun State, with retail sachets of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 90 grammes,” Babafemi said.
He added that NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that the elderly suspect be granted bail and subjected to counselling because of her advanced age.
Babafemi, however, said the woman’s daughter had been arrested in connection with the alleged drug supply.
In another operation, NDLEA officers in Akwa Ibom intercepted a wooden boat allegedly transporting illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon.
Three men — Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27 — were arrested during the operation.
The agency said 42.622kg of narcotics, including skunk and cocaine, was recovered from the suspects.
John was allegedly found with 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of cassava fufu, alongside 435 grammes of skunk.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said it made its first seizure of illicit drugs allegedly shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor.
Two containers intercepted at Apapa and Lekki ports were found to contain cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, with a combined street value estimated at more than N4.4bn.
At Apapa Port, operatives recovered 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud concealed in a container whose declared contents included dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries.
A second container intercepted at the Lekki Deep Sea Port contained 400kg of the substance, which the agency said had been concealed among pallets of A4 paper.
Other operations across the country also resulted in the seizure of tramadol, cannabis and other illicit substances.
In Ondo State, the agency said its operatives destroyed about 10,000kg of cannabis cultivated across four hectares of farmland in Ijare forest, Ifedore Local Government Area.
The agency also reported seizures in Kano, Lagos, Abia and the Federal Capital Territory, including 24,410 tramadol capsules intercepted in a vehicle travelling from Enugu to Zuba.
Marwa commended officers involved in the operations and urged NDLEA personnel nationwide to sustain efforts against illicit drug trafficking while maintaining a balanced approach to drug-control operations.
