Felix Mbata, Lagos state
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has again arrested an 83-year-old convicted grandma with Methamphetamine and Colorado, and a South African lady with 32.74 kilograms of Loud at the Port Harcourt Airport, while seizing large consignments of illicit drugs totalling over 3.5 tons of cannabis, 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol, 166,200 tablets of Tramadol and other opioids, as well as assorted rifles and ammunition in coordinated operations across Lagos, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo, Plateau, Abia and Rivers States.
At 83, most grandmothers are asking for rest. Not Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday, who was arrested again on Wednesday 7th October 2026 at her home in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa LGA, Abia State, with quantities of Methamphetamine and Colorado tied to her waist with a wrapper. Her re-arrest followed credible intelligence that she runs a notorious drug joint harbouring criminal elements terrorising the community.
Her first arrest was on 17th May 2025 at the same address alongside her daughter, Chisom Uchechi, 32, with 50 grams of Methamphetamine, 522 grams of Skunk, 260 grams of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grams of Tramadol. Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment or N200,000 fine each. They paid the fine and were released, only for the old woman to return to the trade.
At the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State, NDLEA operatives in synergy with Customs arrested a South African lady, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 30 parcels of Loud weighing 32.74kg concealed in two travelling bags. She travelled from Thailand via Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431 and confessed to having previously trafficked through other African countries before expanding her route to Port Harcourt.
At the Import Shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, nine cartons from Pakistan aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight placed under watch on arrival on 29th September were jointly examined on Tuesday 6th October, leading to the recovery of 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20kg.
In another interdiction at MMIA, a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom that arrived on 29th September was monitored. Six Ghana-Must-Go bags containing 70 parcels of Colorado weighing 75.90kg were recovered. Clearing agent John Edrah, 54, was arrested on 30th September, while Taofiq Ajibola, 54, an Uber driver, was arrested collecting one bag at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi. Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, who came for the remaining five bags, were also arrested. Ajibola said the drugs were sent by UK-based Lukman Sa’idu, while Dosunmu said his consignments came from another UK-based man identified as Yusuf.
In Cross River State, a raid on Iyala Nkun village, Ikom LGA on Sunday 4th October led to the arrest of Adama Inuwa, 46, with 181 bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing 1,100kg and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds.
In Edo State, a black Toyota Camry intercepted at Otuo, Owan East LGA on Monday 5th October was found conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83kg. Three suspects: Monday Orji, 52, Monday Lawal, 40, and Precious Uduegele, 20, were arrested. In another raid at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, Ojugo Mercy, 26, was arrested with 989 grams of Loud, 13 grams of Colorado and 83 grams of Methamphetamine.
In Ondo State, 21-year-old Happy Endurance was trailed to her hideout in Shasha, Akure, where 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290kg were recovered on Monday 5th October. Same day, a raid on an apartment at Oba-Ile, Akure, led to the arrest of Tunde Adebayo, 42, with 35 bags weighing 351kg.
In Taraba State, operatives supported by soldiers on Friday 9th October arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village, Wukari LGA, with 166,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 107kg, while along the Kano-Maiduguri road, Kano, Yahaya Musa, 32, was arrested on Friday 9th October with 24,990 capsules of Tramadol, 50,000 tablets of Diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5.
In Kaduna State, operatives on patrol along Zaria-Kaduna Expressway arrested Mohammed Musa, 29, with 31 jumbo bags of Skunk and 775 blocks of same substance with a combined weight of 1,027kg. In Orile, Lagos, Musbau Balogun Adekunle was arrested on Tuesday 6th October with 32.51kg of Skunk and 52.65kg of its seeds, totalling 85.16kg.
In Plateau State, assorted rifles and ammunition were recovered alongside drugs when operatives raided the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju at Rukuba Road, Jos, on Thursday 8th October. Recovered were 47 grams of Methamphetamine, two pump action rifles, one locally made gun, 199 live cartridges, five rounds of 7.62mm and one round of 9mm ammunition.
In continuation of its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy, Commands across the country held sensitization lectures in the past week at Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Ehugbo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; Madarasatul Tarbiyatul Islamiya, Galangalan Tudun Wada, Kano; Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos; and Manbahu Ridwanullah Nursery and Primary School, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State, among others.
Commending officers and men of Lagos, MMIA, PHIA, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), enjoined them and their colleagues nationwide to sustain the current balanced approach to drug control.