NDLEA Arrests Nigerian-American Grandmother, South African Woman Over Drugs at Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American woman with 9.45kg of cannabis, known as loud, and a 34-year-old South African woman with 36.65kg of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

The agency also reported multiple drug seizures and arrests across several states as part of its ongoing operations against drug trafficking and substance abuse.

South African Woman Arrested With Cocaine

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said Qhina Beauty was arrested on October 7 while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.

A search of her luggage reportedly uncovered 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg, concealed in seven parcels. According to the agency, the suspect said she travelled to Nigeria to collect the consignment and was promised R20,000 for its delivery.

Investigations later led to the arrest of a 46-year-old Lagos-based car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14 over his alleged links to the operation.

Grandmother Arrested With Cannabis

The agency said Anetor Gloria Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, was arrested on October 21 after arriving from Houston on a United Airlines flight.

Officers reportedly discovered 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg in her checked luggage. She allegedly told investigators that the package had been delivered to her home in the United States for onward delivery in Nigeria.

Seizures Across Several States

In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested Peter Ugochukwu in Warri, recovering thousands of tramadol capsules and tablets, codeine syrup, Rohypnol, diazepam and other pharmaceutical substances. Another suspect, Helen Bakporo Samson, was arrested with 6kg of cannabis.

Other operations resulted in the seizure of cannabis and suspected illicit drugs in Lagos, Kano, Taraba, Niger, Bauchi, Ondo, Edo and Oyo states. The agency also reported destroying two cannabis farms in Edo State with an estimated yield of more than two tonnes.

In Ondo State, officers recovered 583kg of cannabis from an abandoned farm, while operations in Kano and Taraba led to additional seizures of compressed cannabis.

NDLEA Vows to Sustain Operations

Babafemi said the agency had continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation programme in schools and communities across the country.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain efforts against drug trafficking and substance abuse.

Source: NDLEA statement