THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, for allegedly returning to drug trafficking less than a year after she was convicted of a similar offence.
The agency also arrested a South African woman, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State, with 32.74kg of cannabis concealed in two travelling bags.
The arrests were among several operations conducted by the NDLEA across multiple states, resulting in the seizure of large consignments of illicit drugs, the arrest of several suspects and the recovery of firearms and ammunition in Plateau State.
In a statement issued on Sunday, 11 October 2026, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said operatives arrested the octogenarian at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, on Wednesday, 7 October.
According to the statement, quantities of methamphetamine and Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, were allegedly found tied around her waist with a wrapper.
The NDLEA said her arrest followed intelligence reports indicating that she operated a notorious drug joint allegedly frequented by criminal elements terrorising the community.
The agency disclosed that Uloma was first arrested on 17 May 2025 alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence.
The duo were reportedly found with 50g of methamphetamine, 522g of skunk, 260g of fresh cannabis leaves and 12g of tramadol.
They pleaded guilty to the charges and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or an option of a ₦200,000 fine each. Both reportedly paid the fines and were released.
The agency alleged that Uloma subsequently returned to the illicit drug trade and expanded her activities by establishing a drug joint.
South African Woman Arrested With 32.74kg of Cannabis
At the Port Harcourt International Airport in Omagwa, Rivers State, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service, arrested Jessie with 30 parcels of Thai Loud, a cannabis variety weighing 32.74kg.
The suspect reportedly travelled from Thailand through Doha, Qatar, aboard a Qatar Airways flight.
According to the NDLEA, she admitted to having previously trafficked drugs through other African countries and was seeking to extend her operations to Port Harcourt when she was arrested.
354,000 Tapentadol Tablets Seized in Lagos
At the Import Shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, operatives intercepted nine cartons of suspected illicit pharmaceutical products shipped from Pakistan aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight.
The consignment had been placed under surveillance after arriving on 29 September. A joint examination conducted on Tuesday, 6 October, uncovered 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol, each containing 250mg, with a combined weight of 307.20kg.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom that had arrived on 29 September.
A search of six Ghana-Must-Go bags uncovered 70 parcels of Colorado weighing 75.90kg.
The operation led to the arrest of a 54-year-old clearing agent, John Edrah, on 30 September.
Taofiq Ajibola, 54, an Uber driver, was subsequently arrested while allegedly collecting one of the bags at a logistics company in the Mafoluku area of Oshodi.
Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, were also arrested after allegedly arriving to collect the remaining five bags.
The agency said Ajibola identified a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu, as the person who sent the drugs, while Dosunmu reportedly said his consignment came from another UK-based individual identified as Yusuf.
Major Cannabis Seizures Across States
In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives arrested 46-year-old Adama Inuwa during a raid on Iyala Nkun village in Ikom Local Government Area on Sunday, 4 October.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 181 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,100kg and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds.
In Edo State, operatives intercepted a black Toyota Camry conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83kg at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on Monday, 5 October.
Three suspects — Monday Orji, 52, Monday Lawal, 40, and Precious Uduegele, 20 — were arrested in connection with the seizure.
In another operation in the state, 26-year-old Ojugo Mercy was arrested at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, with 989g of Loud, 13g of Colorado and 83g of methamphetamine.
In Ondo State, a 21-year-old suspect, Happy Endurance, was arrested at her hideout in the Shasha area of Akure on Monday, 5 October, following surveillance by NDLEA operatives.
The operation led to the recovery of 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290kg.
On the same day, operatives raided an apartment at Oba-Ile, Akure, and arrested 42-year-old Tunde Adebayo with 35 bags of cannabis weighing 351kg.
In Lagos, a suspect identified as Musbau Balogun Adekunle was arrested in Orile on Tuesday, 6 October, with 32.51kg of skunk and 52.65kg of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 85.16kg.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway arrested 29-year-old Mohammed Musa with 31 jumbo bags and 775 blocks of skunk weighing a combined 1,027kg.
Tramadol, Diazepam Seized in Taraba, Kano
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village in Wukari Local Government Area on Friday, 9 October.
The suspects were allegedly found with 166,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 107kg.
In Kano State, a stop-and-search operation along the Kano-Maiduguri Road on the same day led to the arrest of 32-year-old Yahaya Musa.
The agency said 24,990 capsules of Tramadol, 50,000 tablets of Diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5 were recovered from him.
NDLEA Recovers Rifles, Ammunition in Plateau
In Plateau State, operatives recovered firearms and ammunition during a raid on the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju at Rukuba Road, Jos, on Thursday, 8 October.
The agency said the items recovered included 47g of methamphetamine, two pump-action rifles, one locally made gun, 199 live cartridges, five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and one round of 9mm ammunition.
Marwa Commends Officers
Beyond the enforcement operations, the NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country continued public enlightenment activities under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
The sensitisation programmes targeted schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.
Institutions visited included Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Ehugbo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; Madarasatul Tarbiyatul Islamiya, Galangalan Tudun Wada, Kano State; Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos State; and Manbahu Ridwanullah Nursery and Primary School, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and men of the Lagos, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Port Harcourt International Airport, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau commands for their operations.
Marwa urged personnel across the country to sustain what he described as a balanced approach to the agency’s drug control efforts.
The statement was signed by Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja, on Sunday, 11 October 2026.
