The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother, Esther Ogunmabo, for allegedly dealing in cannabis in Ilisan, Ogun State, while its operatives separately intercepted cocaine concealed inside a wrap of edible cassava fufu in Akwa Ibom State.


According to the NDLEA, Ogunmabo was arrested on Saturday, August 15, 2026, with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets. She reportedly told investigators that she began selling the illicit substance after a fire destroyed her provisions shop.


The agency said the centenarian claimed that her daughter, who lives in Lagos, supplied her with cannabis every four days for onward sale to local customers.


Following her arrest, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that the elderly woman be granted bail and subjected to counselling, given her advanced age. Her daughter was subsequently arrested, according to the agency.


Cocaine Concealed in Fufu Intercepted


In a separate operation in Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a wooden boat allegedly conveying illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon.


The operation, conducted on Friday, August 21, 2026, led to the arrest of three suspects. NDLEA said one of them, 27-year-old Kingsley Effiong John, was found with 20 grammes of cocaine cleverly concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu, alongside 435 grammes of skunk.


Two other suspects, identified as 29-year-old Etima Effiong Eekpo and 33-year-old Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, were allegedly found with 1.120 kilogrammes and 42.060 kilogrammes of skunk respectively.


The NDLEA said the suspects were heading towards fishing ports in Cameroon, including Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung.


The agency's latest operations highlight its continued crackdown on illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria's land and maritime borders.