Stonix News Crime Desk
THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis, popularly known as loud.
The arrests were among a series of anti-drug trafficking operations conducted by the agency across several states, resulting in the seizure of large quantities of illicit drugs and the arrest of multiple suspects.
According to an NDLEA statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the South African woman, identified as Qhina Beauty, was arrested on 7 October 2026 while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.
A search of her two travelling bags led to the discovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. The drugs were reportedly mixed with dried pepper, wrapped in cellophane tape and packed into seven separate parcels.
During interrogation, Qhina allegedly told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on 30 September specifically to collect the consignment.
She claimed that another South African woman recruited her for the operation, promising to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery. She also reportedly identified two other members of the alleged trafficking network, one based in the United States and another, a Lagos-based car dealer.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the 46-year-old car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on 14 October at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, following surveillance at his residence in Shasha.
According to the NDLEA, Umunnakwe admitted receiving Qhina at the airport, accommodating her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin and subsequently moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her departure.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport on Wednesday, 21 October, operatives arrested Anetor Gloria Ubong, a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother and realtor based in Richmond, Texas.
The agency said Ubong, who holds Nigerian and American passports, was arrested upon arriving on a United Airlines flight from Houston.
A search of her two checked-in boxes reportedly uncovered 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg, concealed in a box with gift-wrapping paper.
She allegedly told investigators that her daughter and the daughter’s prospective brother-in-law had delivered the box to her home in the United States for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola.
The NDLEA also reported significant seizures and arrests in Lagos, Delta, Oyo, Kano, Taraba, Niger, Bauchi, Ondo and Edo states.
In Lagos, operatives of the agency’s special operations unit arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat on Friday, 23 October, in the Eti Osa area.
The operation reportedly yielded 5,820 pills of diazepam, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies, a locally produced alcoholic mixture often associated with the misuse of psychoactive substances.
In Delta State, a 51-year-old suspect, Peter Ugochukwu, was arrested in Warri with a large quantity of pharmaceutical opioids and other controlled substances.
The recovered items included 29,350 capsules of tramadol, 6,620 tablets of tramadol 200mg, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 tablets of Rohypnol, 3,500 tablets of diazepam, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection.
Other substances recovered reportedly included tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol.
The suspect was transferred to the NDLEA alongside a white Hummer bus by the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State.
In another operation in Delta, a 46-year-old physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, was arrested at Enhere Junction, Warri, on Monday, 19 October, with 6kg of skunk.
In Oyo State, 41-year-old Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi was arrested on 19 October in the Adamasingba area of Ibadan. The agency said he had previously escaped arrest after officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis from his residence on 16 September.
At Gerawa in Kano State, a raid on Thursday, 22 October, led to the arrest of 30-year-old Murtala Lawan and the seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis weighing 97.2kg.
In Taraba State, operatives arrested 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area on Friday, 23 October, with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.
The same day, the Nigeria Police Force handed over another suspect arrested at Dakka village in Bali Local Government Area, alongside 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.
In Niger State, 26-year-old Emmanuel Ekene was arrested on Monday, 19 October, along the Sabo-Kainji Road in Borgu Local Government Area with 64,000 pills of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, also known as Last Card, at Nasaru Town in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State on Wednesday, 21 October.
The operation led to the seizure of 379kg of cannabis packed in seven large sacks.
In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a farm at Board-Ala in Akure South Local Government Area on Tuesday, 20 October, recovering 56 bags of abandoned cannabis weighing 583kg.
In Edo State, officers destroyed two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, on Sunday, 18 October.
The farms had an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg of cannabis. The operatives also destroyed 450kg of processed cannabis at the site and retained 97kg as exhibits.
In a related operation at Ewe community in Owan West, a 42-year-old woman, Mary Edokhai, was arrested with 35kg of cannabis.
Meanwhile, the agency said its commands and formations continued public enlightenment activities under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative during the week.
The sensitisation programmes were conducted in schools and communities across several states, including Oyo, Niger, Ogun, Kano, Enugu, Anambra and Osun.
Schools reached included Oje Grammar School, Ibadan; Government Day Secondary School, Kwamba, Niger State; Baptist Primary School, Olorunda, Ogun State; Government Secondary School, Yalea, Kano State; Community Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu State; Urban Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State; and Kelebe Community Grammar School, Osogbo, Osun State.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and men of the affected commands for their vigilance, professionalism and intelligence-led operations.
He urged them and other personnel nationwide to sustain efforts to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse.
The statement was issued by Babafemi at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
