NDLEA Arrests 83-Year-Old Woman For Alleged Drug Trafficking, Nabs South African With 32.74kg Cannabis

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, for allegedly returning to drug trafficking barely a year after her conviction.

The agency also arrested a South African national, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 32.74 kilogrammes of cannabis at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

Uloma was reportedly arrested on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.

NDLEA operatives allegedly recovered methamphetamine and Colorado, a potent form of cannabis, concealed around her waist with a wrapper.

The octogenarian was previously arrested alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, on May 17, 2025, with methamphetamine, skunk, fresh cannabis leaves and tramadol.

The mother and daughter reportedly pleaded guilty to the offences and were each sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or a fine of N200,000. They paid the fines and were subsequently released.

In a separate operation at the Port Harcourt International Airport, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service, arrested Jessie, a South African national, after allegedly discovering 30 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 32.74kg in her possession.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, operatives intercepted 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol weighing 307.20kg in a consignment arriving from Pakistan.

The agency also recorded a major seizure in Lagos, where operatives recovered 70 parcels of Colorado weighing 75.90kg from six Ghana-Must-Go bags contained in a shipment from the United Kingdom.

Four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure. They were identified as clearing agent John Edrah, 54; Uber driver Taofiq Ajibola, 54; Adetunji Adebayo; and clothing trader Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48.

According to the report, the suspects allegedly linked the consignments to two associates based in the United Kingdom.

In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives arrested 46-year-old Adama Inuwa at Iyala Nkun village, Ikom Local Government Area, with 181 bags of cannabis weighing 1,100kg and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds.

Similarly, operatives in Edo State intercepted 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83kg in a Toyota Camry at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of three suspects.

Further operations in Ondo, Taraba, Kano and Kaduna states yielded additional seizures, including 641kg of cannabis in two operations in Akure, 166,200 tramadol tablets in Taraba, and various quantities of tramadol capsules, diazepam and Exol-5 tablets in Kano.

In Kaduna State, operatives seized 1,027kg of skunk, while another operation in Orile, Lagos, led to the recovery of 85.16kg of skunk and cannabis seeds.

In Plateau State, the agency reportedly recovered 47 grammes of methamphetamine, two pump-action rifles, a locally made firearm and assorted ammunition from the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju in Jos.

The operations were accompanied by the agency’s continued War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign in schools and communities.

The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse across the country.