By Saminu Ibrahim
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis, known as loud, imported from the United States.
The agency also arrested several suspects and seized large quantities of illicit drugs in coordinated operations across Lagos, Kano, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta states.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.
According to the statement, the South African woman, identified as Qhina Beauty, was arrested on October 7, 2026, at the Lagos airport departure hall while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa through Doha.
A search of her two travelling bags revealed 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. The drugs, mixed with dried pepper to conceal their odour, were wrapped in cellophane tape and packed into seven separate parcels.
During interrogation, Beauty reportedly told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to collect the consignment.
She said another South African woman recruited her and promised to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery.
She also identified two other alleged members of the trafficking network, including an individual based in the United States and a Lagos-based car dealer.
The NDLEA said further investigations led to the arrest of the 46-year-old car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14 at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, following days of surveillance at his residence in Shasha.
Umunnakwe reportedly admitted receiving Beauty at the airport and lodging her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin before moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her departure.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport on October 21, operatives arrested Anetor Gloria Ubong, a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother and realtor based in Richmond, Texas, following her arrival from Houston aboard a United Airlines flight.
A search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg, concealed with gift-wrapping paper.
The agency said Ubong, who holds Nigerian and United States passports, claimed that her daughter and the daughter’s prospective brother-in-law delivered the package to her home in the US for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives attached to a special operations unit arrested a 41-year-old woman, Eletu Rasheedat, in the Eti-Osa area of Lagos on October 23.
The operation led to the recovery of 5,820 diazepam pills, 780 tramadol tablets, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies.
In Delta State, operatives arrested 51-year-old Peter Ugochukwu in Warri and recovered a large quantity of pharmaceutical opioids and other controlled substances.
The seized items included 29,350 tramadol capsules, 6,620 tablets of tramadol 200mg, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 Rohypnol tablets, 3,500 diazepam tablets, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection.
Quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol were also recovered.
The suspect was transferred to the NDLEA alongside a white Hummer bus by the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State.
In another operation in Warri, a 46-year-old physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, was arrested at Enhere Junction on October 19 with 6kg of skunk.
In Oyo State, operatives arrested 41-year-old Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi in the Adamasingba area of Ibadan on October 19. The agency said the suspect had earlier escaped arrest after officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis from his residence on September 16.
In Kano State, a raid in the Gerawa area on October 22 led to the arrest of 30-year-old Murtala Lawan and the seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis weighing 97.2kg.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State arrested 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa on October 23 with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.
On the same day, the Nigeria Police Force handed over to the agency a suspect arrested in Dakka village, Bali Local Government Area, with 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.
In Niger State, 26-year-old Emmanuel Ekene was arrested on October 19 along the Sabo-Kainji Road in Borgu Local Government Area with 64,000 pills of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
In Bauchi State, operatives arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, also known as Last Card, on October 21 at Nasaru town in Ningi Local Government Area. The operation led to the seizure of 379kg of cannabis packed in seven large sacks.
The agency also reported the recovery of 583kg of abandoned cannabis from a farm at Board-Ala, Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, following an intelligence-led operation on October 20.
In Edo State, operatives destroyed two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, on October 18. The farms had an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg of cannabis.
During the operation, officers destroyed 450kg of processed cannabis by burning and retained another 97kg as exhibits. In a related operation at Ewe community in Owan West, a 42-year-old woman, Mary Edokhai, was arrested with 35kg of cannabis.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities across the country.
The agency conducted awareness programmes at Oje Grammar School in Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Day Secondary School, Kwamba, Niger State; Baptist Primary School, Olorunda, Ogun State; Government Secondary School, Yalea, Kano State; Community Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu State; Urban Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State; and Kelebe Community Grammar School, Osogbo, Osun State, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended officers and men of the agency’s commands in Lagos, Kano, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta states, as well as those at the Lagos airport, for their vigilance and professionalism.
Marwa urged personnel across the country to sustain the momentum of operations against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
