NDLEA REARRESTS 83-YEAR-OLD WOMAN, SEIZES DRUGS IN MULTIPLE OPERATIONS

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has rearrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, over alleged drug trafficking, less than a year after she and her daughter were convicted of drug-related offences.

The agency also reported multiple drug seizures and arrests across several states, including Rivers, Lagos, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna and Plateau.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said Uloma was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.

According to the agency, operatives recovered consignments of methamphetamine and Colorado allegedly tied around her waist with a wrapper.

Babafemi said the arrest followed intelligence reports indicating that the octogenarian operated a drug joint allegedly patronised by criminal elements terrorising the community.

He recalled that NDLEA operatives had arrested Uloma and her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence on May 17, 2025. During that operation, officers recovered 50 grammes of methamphetamine, 522 grammes of skunk, 260 grammes of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grammes of tramadol.

The agency said both women pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦200,000 fine each. They paid the fines and were subsequently released.

However, Babafemi alleged that Uloma returned to the illicit drug trade after her release and established a drug joint.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a South African national, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State, over the alleged importation of 30 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 32.74 kilogrammes.

The agency said the cannabis strain was concealed in two travelling bags. Babafemi disclosed that Jessie arrived from Thailand through Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431. According to the statement, she admitted to previously trafficking drugs through other African countries before allegedly attempting to extend her operations to Port Harcourt.

At the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, operatives intercepted 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol, each containing 250mg, with a combined weight of 307.20 kilogrammes.

Babafemi said the consignment arrived from Pakistan aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight on September 29 and was placed under surveillance. A joint examination conducted on October 6 reportedly led to the discovery of the tablets packed in nine cartons.

In another operation at the Lagos airport, officers intercepted 70 parcels of Colorado weighing 75.90 kilogrammes, concealed in six Ghana-Must-Go bags within consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom.

The shipment was monitored following its arrival on September 29. A clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was arrested on September 30, while an Uber driver, Taofiq Ajibola, 54, was apprehended while attempting to collect one of the bags at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi.

The agency said Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, were subsequently arrested when they arrived to collect the remaining five bags.

According to Babafemi, Ajibola identified a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu, as the sender of the drugs, while Dosunmu claimed his consignment was sent by another UK-based man identified as Yusuf.

In Cross River State, operatives arrested 46-year-old Adama Inuwa at Iyala Nkun village, Ikom Local Government Area, on Sunday, October 4, following surveillance. The operation led to the recovery of 181 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,100 kilogrammes and 17.15 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, officers intercepted a black Toyota Camry conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83 kilogrammes at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on Monday, October 5.

Three suspects — Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20 — were arrested in connection with the seizure.

A separate raid at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, led to the arrest of 26-year-old Ojugo Mercy. Operatives reportedly recovered 989 grammes of Loud, 13 grammes of Colorado and 83 grammes of methamphetamine.

In Ondo State, a 21-year-old suspect, Happy Endurance, was arrested at her hideout in the Shasha area of Akure on October 5, with 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290 kilogrammes.

On the same day, officers raided an apartment in Oba-Ile, Akure, and arrested 42-year-old Tunde Adebayo, recovering 35 bags of cannabis weighing 351 kilogrammes.

In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives working with soldiers arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village, Wukari Local Government Area, on Friday, October 9.

The suspects were allegedly found with 166,200 tablets of tramadol, each containing 225mg and weighing 107 kilogrammes in total, the statement said.

A stop-and-search operation along the Kano-Maiduguri Road in Kano State on October 9 also led to the arrest of 32-year-old Yahaya Musa. Operatives recovered 24,990 capsules of tramadol, 50,000 tablets of diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5.

In Kaduna State, officers patrolling the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway arrested 29-year-old Mohammed Musa with 31 jumbo bags and 775 blocks of skunk weighing a combined 1,027 kilogrammes.

The agency also announced the arrest of Musbau Balogun Adekunle in Orile, Lagos, on Tuesday, October 6. The operation yielded 32.51 kilogrammes of skunk and 52.65 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 85.16 kilogrammes.

In Plateau State, operatives raided the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju on Rukuba Road, Jos, on Thursday, October 8, where they recovered 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.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign, delivering lectures to students and staff of schools in Oyo, Ebonyi, Niger, Kano, Lagos and Ogun states.

The institutions reached included Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Eghugo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; and Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos State.

Commending the personnel involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised officers of the Lagos, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Port Harcourt International Airport, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau Commands.

Babafemi said Marwa commended the officers for their professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, urging them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.