CENTENARIAN DRUG DEALER, COCAINE IN FUFU, AND N4.4BN THAI CANNABIS FOILED IN NATIONWIDE NDLEA SWEEPS
CENTENARIAN DRUG DEALER, COCAINE IN FUFU, AND N4.4BN THAI CANNABIS FOILED IN NATIONWIDE NDLEA SWEEPS
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a series of bizarre and high-value smuggling operations across the country, resulting in the arrest of a 101-year-old great-grandmother, the discovery of cocaine hidden in edible cassava flour (fufu), and the interception of N4.4 billion worth of synthetic cannabis shipped from Thailand.
The nationwide crackdown, detailed in an agency report released Sunday, highlights increasingly unusual concealment tactics and emerging international supply lines exploited by drug syndicates.
Great-Grandmother Nabbed in Ogun, Granted Administrative Bail
In one of the most unusual arrests in the agency’s history, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 15, raided a location in Ilisan, Ogun State, apprehending 101-year-old Esther Ogunmabo. The centenarian was caught with 90 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets.
Ogunmabo told investigators she turned to street-level drug dealing after her provisions shop was destroyed in a fire. She explained that one of her daughters, based in Lagos, coordinated a fresh supply of cannabis to her every four days.
Given her extreme age, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) ordered that Ogunmabo be granted bail and enrolled in a counseling program. Her daughter has since been tracked down and arrested.
High-Seas Interception: Cocaine Stashed in Fufu
On Friday, August 21, NDLEA maritime operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a wooden vessel off the coast of Akwa Ibom State bound for fishing settlements in the Republic of Cameroon.
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Upon searching the vessel—which was destined for the Ine Isu, Ine Mbah, and Ine Ikot Itie Udung fishing communities—officers recovered 42.622 kilograms of narcotics and arrested three crew members:
- Kingsley Effiong John, 27: Found with 20 grams of cocaine cleverly molded inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu, along with 435 grams of skunk.
- Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33: Arrested with 42.06 kilograms of skunk.
- Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29: Caught in possession of 1.12 kilograms of skunk.
Historic N4.4bn Thai Loud Seizure at Lagos Ports
The sweeps also yielded the NDLEA’s first-ever direct maritime seizure of illicit drugs originating from Thailand. Acting on intelligence, agents intercepted two containers carrying high-potency synthetic cannabis, known locally as “Loud,” with a total market valuation exceeding N4.4 billion. Both shipments originated from the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, signalling a new maritime trafficking route.
| Location | Modus Operandi / Manifest | Seizure Details |
|---|---|---|
| Apapa Port | Declared as dried fish, rice, spare parts, turmeric soap, and batteries. Examined Aug 21. | 1,090.5 kg of Thai Loud (2,181 500-gram sachets packed in 54 cartons). |
| Lekki Deep Sea Port | Monitored by Marine Unit; 7 pallets wrapped in black nylon. Examined Aug 19. | 400 kg of Thai Loud (400 parcels in 96 cartons) concealed beneath 798 reams of A4 printer paper. |
Nationwide Raids Target Farms, Border Networks, and Prescription Abuse
The agency’s coordinated sweeps extended into multiple states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT):
- FCT & Niger State: Intercepted a bus carrying 24,410 tramadol pills en route from Enugu to Zuba on Aug 22. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the owner, Sunday Eze (28), in Kontagora, Niger State.
- Ondo State: Destroyed a 4-hectare cannabis plantation in the Ijare forest on Aug 19, burning 10,000 kg of skunk. An additional 210 kg was seized alongside an abandoned Toyota Camry in Ita-Ogbolu.
- Oyo State: Arrested 65-year-old Adebayo Kaosarat in Ibadan on Aug 21 with a 4.68 kg cocktail of drugs, including Scottish Loud, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam, and flunitrazepam.
- Kano, Abia, Kwara & Seme: Raids netted 73.3 kg of skunk in Kano from Chibuzor Madueke (31); 48 kg near the Seme border from three family members (Nasiru, Moshood, and Salami Tijjani); methamphetamine in Kwara; and a cocktail of Loud, Colorado, and prescription pills in Umuahia, Abia State.
Commending the involved commands, Gen. Marwa urged officers to sustain their balanced approach through combined enforcement operations and War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) community advocacy campaigns across the nation.
