The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 101-year-old woman for dealing in cannabis and also intercepted cocaine concealed in edible cassava flour, popularly known as fufu.
The agency also seized large consignments of cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, worth more than N4.4 billion at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos.
The 101-year-old suspect, identified as Esther Ogunmabo, was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 15, 2026, in Ilisan, Ogun State, with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets.
Ogunmabo told investigators that she sold the substance to residents in the community after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire.
She further disclosed that one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, supplied her with the cannabis every four days, which she sold in small quantities.
Following the arrest, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that the centenarian be granted bail and subjected to counselling because of her advanced age. Her daughter was, however, arrested in connection with the case.
In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 21, intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas carrying illicit drugs allegedly destined for fishing settlements in Cameroon.
Three suspects were arrested aboard the vessel, which was reportedly heading to the Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung fishing ports in Cameroon.
The suspects were identified as 29-year-old Etima Effiong Eekpo, who was found with 1.120kg of skunk; 33-year-old Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, who had 42.060kg of skunk; and 27-year-old Kingsley Effiong John, who was allegedly carrying 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu.
John was also found with 435 grammes of skunk, bringing the total quantity of narcotics recovered from the three suspects to 42.622kg.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said it recorded its first seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor following the interception of two containers containing cannabis indica, or Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki ports.
The consignments, which were loaded at the Port of Laem Chabang in Thailand, had a combined street value estimated at more than N4.4 billion.
At the Apapa Port, a container declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries was examined jointly by NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on Friday, August 21.
The examination revealed 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets of 500 grammes each.
At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container that had been placed on the NDLEA watchlist and monitored by its Marine Special Operations Unit was examined on Wednesday, August 19.
Four of the seven pallets inside the container were found to contain Thai Loud. The consignment comprised of 96 cartons containing 400 parcels with a combined weight of 400kg.
The remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper, which investigators said had been used to conceal the drug shipment.
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives 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 led to 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, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, August 19, raided a cannabis farm in Ijare Forest, Ifedore Local Government Area, following the earlier arrest of three suspected cannabis cultivators at the location on August 16.
The operation led to the destruction of 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of the forest.
In a separate operation at Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North Local Government Area, operatives recovered 210kg of skunk and a Toyota Camry with registration number AGL 223 JH. The vehicle has been linked to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who remains at large.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 21, intercepted a Toyota Starlet without a registration number along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 1.325kg of methamphetamine wrapped in black nylon bags, alongside quantities of cannabis sativa.
A 22-year-old suspect, Muhammadu Usman, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Oyo State, a 65-year-old woman, Adebayo Kaosarat, was arrested at the Akobo-Ojuirin area of Ibadan on Friday, August 21, with a combination of illicit substances weighing 4.68kg.
The substances recovered from her included 1.795kg of Scottish Loud, 1.66kg of tramadol, 600 grammes of codeine syrup, 125 grammes of diazepam and 50 grammes of flunitrazepam.
In Kano State, an operation along Hadeija Road on Monday, August 17, resulted in the arrest of 31-year-old Chibuzor Madueke, with 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg recovered from him.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives in the Seme-Badagry area of Lagos State arrested three members of the same family at Ashipa, near the Seme border.
The suspects, identified as 52-year-old Nasiru Tijjani, 27-year-old Moshood Tijjani and 27-year-old Salami Tijjani, were arrested with 48kg of skunk.
In Abia State, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, August 20, raided the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno in the Umuobia Olokoro area of Umuahia South Local Government Area.
The raid led to the recovery of 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of Rohypnol.