The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has secured the conviction of an 83-year-old grandmother and arrested a South African lady with consignments of Colorado and methamphetamine, in a week-long nationwide offensive that led to the seizure of over 4,000 kilograms of illicit drugs and recovery of assorted rifles and ammunition.
The operations, which swept through Lagos, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau States between October 4 and 11, 2026, also intercepted over 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol from Pakistan at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.
According to a press statement on Sunday, October 11, 2026, by the Agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the 83-year-old, Uloma Uche, was arrested on 7th October 2026 at Umuaguma Village, Obingwa LGA, Abia State. She was caught with 2 grams of Cannabis Sativa and 7 grams of Methamphetamine. Her arrest was listed under the Abia State Command with remarks as “Commander Special.”
Major Airport Busts in Lagos
At the Import Shed of the MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted a consignment of nine cartons from Pakistan aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight. The cargo, placed under watch on arrival on 29th September, was jointly examined on Tuesday 6th October, uncovering 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20kg.
In a separate interdiction at the same airport, a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom that arrived on 29th September was monitored. Six Ghana-Must-Go bags were found to contain 70 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, weighing 75.90kg.
A clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was first arrested on 30th September. He was followed by Taofiq Ajibola, 54, an Uber driver, who was arrested while collecting one of the bags at a logistics company in Mafoluku area of Oshodi, and Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, who came for the remaining five bags.
Ajibola said the drugs were sent by a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu, while Dosunmu said his own consignments came from another UK-based man identified as Yusuf.
Over 2.7 Tons Of Cannabis Seized In Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Kaduna
In Cross River, a surveillance 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, operatives intercepted a black Toyota Camry at Otuo, Owan East LGA, on Monday 5th October 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, Ojugo Mercy, 26, was arrested at Asoro, off Saponba Road, Benin City, 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 area of 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 of the same substance weighing 351kg.
In Kaduna, 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.
Tramadol, Diazepam Haul In North
In Taraba, 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.
Along Kano-Maiduguri road, Kano, a stop-and-search operation on same Friday led to the arrest of Yahaya Musa, 32, with 24,990 capsules of Tramadol, 50,000 tablets of Diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5.
Guns Recovered In Plateau
Assorted rifles and ammunition were recovered along with illicit drugs when NDLEA operatives raided the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju at Rukuba Road, Jos, Plateau State on Thursday 8th October. Items seized include 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.
Meanwhile, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities.
These include WADA lectures to students and staff of 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 the officers and men of Lagos, MMIA, PHIA, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau Commands, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to drug control efforts.