101-Year-Old Great Grandma Nabbed With Cocaine Concealed in Fufu

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has announced the arrest of a 101-year-old woman over alleged involvement in the sale of illicit drugs, while operatives also intercepted cocaine reportedly hidden inside a wrap of fufu in Akwa Ibom State.

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The latest arrests and seizures formed part of a series of enforcement operations carried out by the agency across different parts of the country in the past week.

The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.

Babafemi said the centenarian, identified as Esther Ogunmabo, was arrested on August 15 at Ilisan in Ogun State after operatives allegedly found 90 grammes of cannabis, popularly called skunk, in her possession.

During questioning, the woman reportedly told investigators that she began selling the substance after fire destroyed her provision shop. She allegedly identified her daughter, who resides in Lagos, as the person supplying her with the drugs.

Following the arrest, the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and subjected to counselling in view of her advanced age. Her daughter, however, was taken into custody for further investigation.

In a separate operation in Akwa Ibom, operatives intercepted a wooden boat allegedly carrying illicit drugs towards fishing settlements in Cameroon on August 21.

Three persons were arrested in connection with the operation. One of them, 27-year-old Kingsley Effiong John, was allegedly found carrying 20 grammes of cocaine concealed in fufu, as well as 435 grammes of cannabis. The combined drug haul recovered from the suspects weighed 42.622kg.

The agency also announced the seizure of 1,490.5kg of synthetic cannabis, known as Loud, from two containers at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos. The drugs were valued at more than N4.4bn.

According to the NDLEA, the seizure marked the first time the agency had intercepted drugs shipped into Nigeria from Thailand through the maritime route.

At the Apapa port, 1,090.5kg of Loud was discovered in 2,181 sachets inside a container whose declared contents included dry fish, rice, spare parts, soap and inverter batteries.

Another 400kg was recovered at the Lekki Deep Sea Port from a container that had been placed on the agency's watchlist. The substance was allegedly concealed beneath 798 reams of A4 paper.

Other operations during the period resulted in the interception of 24,410 tramadol tablets hidden inside waybill packages in a bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba. The person allegedly behind the consignment was later arrested in Kontagora, Niger State.

In Ondo State, operatives destroyed about 10 tonnes of cannabis cultivated on a four-hectare farm in Ijare Forest. In Kwara State, 1.325kg of methamphetamine and cannabis were recovered from a vehicle stopped along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway.

The agency also reported the arrest of a 65-year-old woman in Ibadan with 4.68kg of assorted illicit substances, including Loud, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam and flunitrazepam.

Further raids in Kano, Seme in Lagos State and Abia State yielded additional quantities of illicit drugs, including Loud, Colorado cannabis, tramadol and Rohypnol.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA said it sustained its drug prevention campaigns under the War Against Drug Abuse initiative, engaging schools, religious organisations and community leaders in several states.

Marwa commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to maintain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse across the country.