The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother for allegedly selling cannabis in Ilisan, Ogun State, while operatives also intercepted cocaine concealed inside a wrap of cassava fufu in a separate operation.
Key Highlights:
- NDLEA arrested a 101-year-old woman in Ogun for allegedly selling cannabis.
- A separate operation uncovered cocaine hidden inside cassava fufu in Akwa Ibom.
- NDLEA seized over 1.49 tonnes of cannabis at Lagos ports.
- The Lagos drugs were worth an estimated ₦4.4 billion.
- The agency said the operations exposed new routes and concealment methods used by traffickers.
The centenarian was arrested on August 15, 2026, with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis. The agency said she admitted selling the substance in small quantities to local customers.
According to the NDLEA, the woman told investigators that she ventured into the illicit drug trade after a fire destroyed her provisions shop.
She reportedly said her daughter, who lives in Lagos, supplied her with cannabis every four days for onward distribution to customers.
Following her arrest, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that she be granted bail and provided with counselling because of her advanced age.
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Her daughter was subsequently arrested in connection with the alleged drug activities.
In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives also intercepted a wooden boat allegedly transporting illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon and arrested three suspects.
The operation yielded about 42.622kg of narcotics, including 42.06kg of skunk, other quantities of cannabis and 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu.
Meanwhile, the agency announced a major seizure at two Lagos ports involving more than 1.49 tonnes of cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud.
The consignments were intercepted in two containers originating from Thailand at the Apapa and Lekki ports.
At Apapa Port, operatives discovered 1,090.5kg of the illicit substance in a container declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries.
Another 400kg was recovered from a second container at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
The NDLEA estimated the combined street value of the two consignments at more than ₦4.4 billion.
The agency said the seizures marked its first interception of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor, raising concerns about the emergence of a new route for synthetic cannabis trafficking.
Further seizures of methamphetamine, skunk, opioids and other illicit substances were recorded during intelligence-led operations in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and the Federal Capital Territory.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrests and seizures in a statement on Sunday, August 23, 2026.
The agency said the latest operations exposed different methods allegedly employed by drug trafficking networks, including hiding cocaine in food items and using containers carrying false declarations to conceal large consignments of illicit drugs.
