By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 101-year-old woman, Esther Ogunmabo, for alleged involvement in illicit drug trafficking in Ilisan, Ogun State.
NDLEA also intercepted cocaine concealed in edible cassava flour, popularly known as fufu, in Akwa Ibom State.
The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, noting that the arrests and seizures were recorded during operations across several states.
Ogunmabo was arrested on Saturday, August 15, with 90 grammes of skunk packaged in retail sachets.
The agency said the centenarian told operatives that she resorted to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire.
“The centenarian told operatives that she resorted to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was razed by fire, adding that one of her daughters, who resides in Lagos, arranges the supply of the substance to her every four days, which she in turn sold in bits” NDLEA said.
Following her arrest, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that the woman be granted bail and subjected to counselling in view of her advanced age.
Her daughter was, however, arrested in connection with the case.
In Akwa Ibom State, the agency said operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a wooden boat allegedly conveying illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon on Friday, August 21.
Three suspects — Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27 — were arrested aboard the vessel.
According to the NDLEA, Eekpo was found with 1.120kg of skunk, while Etukudoh had 42.060kg of the substance.
John was allegedly found with 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu, alongside 435 grammes of skunk.
The agency said a total of 42.622kg of narcotics was recovered from the three suspects.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA announced the seizure of two containers containing cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos, with a combined street value of more than N4.4 billion.
The agency described the seizures as its first interception of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor, raising concerns over the emergence of a new route being exploited by drug syndicates.
At the Apapa Port, a container declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries was subjected to joint examination on Friday, August 21.
The examination reportedly uncovered 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets of 500 grammes each.
At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container earlier placed on the NDLEA watchlist was jointly examined on August 19.
The agency said four of seven pallets wrapped in black nylon were found to contain 400kg of Thai Loud packed in 96 cartons, while the remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper allegedly used to conceal the drugs.
Both containers were loaded at the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand.
The NDLEA further reported drug seizures and arrests in Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory.
In the FCT, operatives intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 pills of tramadol capsules inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba on August 22.
A follow-up operation in Kontagora, Niger State, led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 28-year-old Sunday Eze.
In Ondo State, operatives destroyed 10,000kg of skunk cultivated on four hectares of farmland at Ijare Forest in Ifedore Local Government Area, while another 210kg was recovered at Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North Local Government Area.
Similarly, 1.325kg of methamphetamine and quantities of cannabis were recovered from a Toyota Starlet intercepted along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway in Kwara State, leading to the arrest of 22-year-old Muhammadu Usman.
In Oyo State, a 65-year-old woman, Adebayo Kaosarat, was arrested at Akobo-Ojuirin, Ibadan, with 4.68kg of assorted substances, including Scottish Loud, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam and flunitrazepam.
The agency also reported the recovery of 73.3kg of skunk from 98 blocks in Kano and 48kg of skunk from three members of a family arrested near the Seme border in Lagos.
In Abia State, operatives recovered 14.4kg of Loud, 2.3kg of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of rohypnol from the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno in Umuahia South Local Government Area.
Marwa commended the officers and men of the affected commands for the operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
The NDLEA said its commands also continued with its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across the country.