The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has rearrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Sunday, for alleged drug trafficking, barely a year after she was convicted alongside her daughter for a similar offence.
The agency also arrested a South African woman, Gebashe Jessie, at the Port Harcourt International Airport with 32.74 kilogrammes of cannabis, known as Thai Loud, concealed in two travelling bags.
The arrests were among a series of operations conducted by NDLEA operatives across several states, including Lagos, Abia, Rivers, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna and Plateau, leading to the seizure of large consignments of illicit drugs and the recovery of firearms and ammunition.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the octogenarian was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.
Babafemi said operatives recovered quantities of methamphetamine and Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, allegedly tied around her waist with a wrapper.
He explained that the arrest followed intelligence reports indicating that the woman operated a drug joint allegedly frequented by criminal elements terrorising the community.
The statement recalled that Uloma was first arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence.
The operatives reportedly recovered 50 grammes of methamphetamine, 522 grammes of skunk, 260 grammes of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grammes of tramadol during the operation.
Both women pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or a fine of ₦200,000 each. They subsequently paid the fines and were released.
The NDLEA said the older woman allegedly returned to the drug trade after her release and established a drug joint where she accommodated individuals described by the agency as dangerous.
Meanwhile, in Rivers State, NDLEA operatives, working with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, arrested Jessie at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, with 30 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 32.74 kilogrammes.
The suspect reportedly arrived from Thailand through Doha aboard a Qatar Airways flight, QR1431.
According to the statement, she confessed to previously trafficking drugs through other African countries and said she was expanding her route to Port Harcourt when she was arrested.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted a shipment of nine cartons from Pakistan transported aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight.
The consignment, which arrived on September 29, was placed under surveillance before a joint examination on October 6 revealed 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20 kilogrammes.
In another operation at the Lagos airport, operatives uncovered 70 parcels of Colorado weighing 75.90 kilogrammes inside six Ghana-Must-Go bags in a consolidated cargo shipment from the United Kingdom.
The shipment had also arrived on September 29 and was monitored by the agency.
According to the anti-narcotic agency, a 54-year-old clearing agent, John Edrah, was arrested on September 30 in connection with the consignment.
Subsequently, Taofiq Ajibola, 54, an Uber driver, was arrested while allegedly attempting to collect one of the bags at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi.
Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, were later arrested when they allegedly arrived to collect the remaining five bags.
The statement said Ajibola allegedly identified a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu, as the sender of the drugs, while Dosunmu named another UK-based individual, Yusuf, as the source of his consignment.
In Cross River State, NDLEA said its operatives arrested a 46-year-old suspect, Adama Inuwa, during a raid on Iyala Nkun village in Ikom Local Government Area on October 4.
The operation led to the recovery of 181 bags of cannabis weighing 1,100 kilogrammes and an additional 17.15 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds.
In Edo State, operatives intercepted a black Toyota Camry conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83 kilogrammes at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on October 5.
Three suspects — Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20 — were arrested in connection with the seizure.
In a separate operation at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, a 26-year-old suspect, Ojugo Mercy, was arrested with 989 grammes of Loud, 13 grammes of Colorado and 83 grammes of methamphetamine.
Ondo State also recorded significant seizures, with operatives arresting 21-year-old Happy Endurance at her hideout in the Shasha area of Akure on October 5.
The operation led to the recovery of 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290 kilogrammes.
On the same day, another raid at an apartment in Oba-Ile, Akure, resulted in the arrest of 42-year-old Tunde Adebayo, from whom 35 bags of cannabis weighing 351 kilogrammes were recovered.
According to the statement, 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 October 9.
The suspects were allegedly found with 166,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 107 kilogrammes.
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 operatives recovered 24,990 capsules of tramadol, 50,000 tablets of diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5 from him.
In Kaduna State, a patrol along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway resulted in the arrest of 29-year-old Mohammed Musa.
The suspect was allegedly found with 31 jumbo bags of skunk and 775 blocks of the same substance, with a combined weight of 1,027 kilogrammes.
Meanwhile, in Orile, Lagos, operatives arrested Musbau Adekunle on October 6 with 32.51 kilogrammes of skunk and 52.65 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 85.16 kilogrammes.
In Plateau State, operatives said they recovered firearms and ammunition during a raid on the residence of 45-year-old Christian Uju at Rukuba Road, Jos, on October 8.
The agency said the items recovered included 47 grammes 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.
The seizures formed part of the agency’s operations against drug trafficking and the distribution of illicit substances across the country.
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