Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother, Esther Ogunmabo, over alleged involvement in the sale of illicit drugs in Ilisan, Ogun State.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, saying operatives arrested the centenarian on Saturday, August 15, 2026, after allegedly finding retail sachets of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 90 grammes in her possession.

According to the agency, Ogunmabo admitted selling the substance to people in the community. She reportedly told investigators that she turned to the illegal drug business after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire.

The 101-year-old further claimed that one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, supplied her with the drugs every four days, which she then allegedly sold in smaller quantities.

Following the arrest, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that Ogunmabo be released on bail and placed under counselling because of her advanced age. Her daughter was, however, arrested in connection with the case.

PUNCH Online said it had been unable to speak with Ogunmabo.

In another operation, NDLEA officers in Akwa Ibom State intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas on Friday, August 21, following intelligence that illicit drugs were being transported to fishing communities in the Republic of Cameroon.

Three suspects were arrested aboard the boat, which was reportedly heading towards Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung fishing ports in Cameroon.

They were identified as Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29, who was allegedly caught with 1.120kg of skunk; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33, from whom 42.060kg of skunk was reportedly recovered; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27, who allegedly had 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu, as well as 435 grammes of skunk.

Babafemi said a combined total of 42.622kg of narcotics was recovered from the three suspects.

The agency also announced what it described as its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor. Two containers carrying cannabis indica, popularly called Loud, were intercepted at the Apapa and Lekki ports, with their combined street value estimated at more than N4.4 billion.

According to Babafemi, both containers originated from the Port of Laem Chabang in Thailand, a development the agency said indicated the emergence of a new trafficking route being exploited by drug syndicates to bring synthetic cannabis into Nigeria.

At Apapa Port, a container declared as carrying dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries was jointly examined on Friday, August 21, by NDLEA, Customs and other relevant authorities.

The inspection reportedly uncovered 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed inside 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets weighing 500 grammes each.

A similar discovery was made at the Lekki Deep Sea Port. The container, which had been placed on the NDLEA watchlist and monitored by its Marine Special Operations Unit, was jointly examined on Wednesday, August 19.

Seven pallets wrapped in black nylon were discovered inside. Four allegedly contained Thai Loud packed into 96 cartons comprising 400 parcels with a total weight of 400kg. The remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper, which the agency said were used to disguise the consignment.

In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA officers on Saturday, August 22, intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 tramadol capsules inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba.

A follow-up operation in Niger State resulted in the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 28-year-old Sunday Eze, in Kontagora. He was subsequently transferred to Abuja.

In Ondo State, operatives raided a cannabis farm in Ijare forest, Ifedore Local Government Area, on August 19. The operation followed the earlier arrest of three suspected cannabis farmers at the same location on August 16.

The NDLEA said its officers destroyed about 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of the forest.

During another operation that same day at Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North LGA, officers recovered 210kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry with registration number AGL 223 JH. The vehicle allegedly belonged to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who remained at large.

In Kano State, a raid along Hadeija Road on Monday, August 17, led to the arrest of 31-year-old Chibuzor Madueke. Officers reportedly recovered 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg from him.

At Ashipa, near the Seme border in the Badagry area of Lagos, three members of the same family were arrested during another operation. They were identified as Nasiru Tijjani, 52; Moshood Tijjani, 27; and Salami Tijjani, 27. The agency said 48kg of skunk was recovered from them.

In Abia State, NDLEA officers raided the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno at Umuobia Olokoro in Umuahia South LGA on Thursday, August 20.

The agency said the operation resulted in the recovery of 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of rohypnol.

Marwa commended officers and personnel of the Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT Commands for the successful operations and urged NDLEA personnel nationwide to maintain the agency’s balanced approach to drug-control efforts.

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