The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced a series of major drug seizures and arrests across the country, including the arrest of a 101-year-old woman allegedly involved in the sale of cannabis and the interception of cocaine concealed inside edible cassava flour, popularly known as fufu.
The agency also seized consignments of Loud, a potent form of cannabis, worth more than N4.4 billion at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos.
The NDLEA said its operatives arrested the centenarian, identified as Esther Ogunmabo, on August 15, 2026, at Ilisan in Ogun State, after she was found with 90 grammes of skunk packaged in retail sachets.
Ogunmabo reportedly told investigators that she turned to selling cannabis after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. She allegedly said one of her daughters based in Lagos supplied her with the drug every four days, which she sold in smaller quantities to residents.
Following the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that the elderly suspect be granted bail and subjected to counselling due to her age. Her daughter was, however, arrested.
In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat on August 21 while it was allegedly transporting illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon.
Three suspects — Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27 — were arrested during the operation. A total of 42.622kg of illicit drugs was recovered, including skunk and cocaine.
The NDLEA said 20 grammes of cocaine recovered from John had been cleverly concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu. He was also found with 435 grammes of skunk.
At the Apapa Port, operatives working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies discovered 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud hidden in a container declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries.
The consignment, packed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets, was discovered during a joint examination on August 21.
At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container monitored by the NDLEA’s Marine Special Operations Unit was examined on August 19. Four of seven pallets inside the container contained 400kg of Thai Loud packed in 96 cartons, while the remaining pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper allegedly used to conceal the drugs.
The NDLEA described the seizures as its first interception of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor, suggesting the emergence of a new trafficking route.
In the Federal Capital Territory, operatives intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 tramadol capsules concealed inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba. A follow-up operation in Niger State led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 28-year-old Sunday Eze, in Kontagora.
In Ondo State, NDLEA officers destroyed 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of farmland in Ijare Forest, Ifedore Local Government Area. The operation followed the earlier arrest of three suspected cannabis cultivators at the location.
The agency also recovered 210kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry at Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North Local Government Area. The vehicle was reportedly linked to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who remains at large.
In Kwara State, a patrol team intercepted a Toyota Starlet along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway and recovered 1.325kg of methamphetamine and quantities of cannabis sativa. A 22-year-old suspect, Muhammadu Usman, was arrested.
Oyo State operatives also arrested 65-year-old Adebayo Kaosarat in the Akobo-Ojuirin area of Ibadan. She was allegedly found with 4.68kg of various substances, including Scottish Loud, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam and flunitrazepam.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Kano State arrested 31-year-old Chibuzor Madueke during a raid on Hadeija Road and recovered 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg.
At Seme in Lagos, three members of the Tijjani family — Nasiru Tijjani, 52; Moshood Tijjani, 27; and Salami Tijjani, 27 — were arrested with 48kg of skunk.
In Abia State, a raid on the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno in Umuobia Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area, resulted in the recovery of 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of Rohypnol.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said its commands across the country continued to conduct War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.
The agency said the activities were aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and preventing substance misuse among young people and other vulnerable groups.
Marwa commended the officers and personnel involved in the operations and urged NDLEA commands nationwide to sustain what he described as a balanced approach to drug control.
The statement was signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, August 23, 2026.