Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Esther Ogunmabo, a woman reportedly aged 101, for allegedly selling cannabis in Ilisan, Ogun State.
According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Ogunmabo was arrested on Saturday with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets.
Babafemi said the woman told investigators that she turned to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. She reportedly said one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, supplies her with the cannabis every four days for resale in small quantities.
Following the arrest, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Marwa directed that the centenarian be released on bail and referred for counselling, given her advanced age. Her daughter was, however, arrested.
In a separate operation in Akwa Ibom, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat on Friday allegedly transporting illicit drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon. Three suspects were arrested.
The suspects were identified as Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29, who had 1.120kg of skunk; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33, with 42.060kg of skunk; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27, who was found with 20 grammes of cocaine concealed in a large wrap of cassava fufu, alongside 435 grammes of skunk.
The agency said a total of 42.622kg of narcotics was recovered from the suspects.
Babafemi also disclosed that NDLEA recorded its first seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor after intercepting two containers of cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki ports.
The consignments, loaded at Thailand’s Port of Laem Chabang, reportedly contained 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud in 54 cartons comprising 2,181 sachets of 500 grammes each. The drugs were estimated to have a street value of more than N4.4 billion.
Marwa commended personnel of the Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT Commands for the operations and urged officers nationwide to sustain what he described as the agency’s “balanced approach” to drug control.