The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has rearrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, with suspected methamphetamine and Colorado, less than a year after she was convicted of drug-related offences.

The octogenarian was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, following intelligence reports about her alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade.

The substances were reportedly found concealed around her waist with a wrapper.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, adding that the suspect allegedly operated a drug joint that attracted criminal elements accused of terrorising the community.

According to Babafemi, Uloma was previously arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence.

The agency reportedly recovered 50 grammes of methamphetamine, 522 grammes of skunk, 260 grammes of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grammes of tramadol during the earlier operation.

Babafemi said both women pleaded guilty to the offences and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or an option of a N200,000 fine each. They reportedly paid the fines and were released.

He alleged that the older woman subsequently returned to the drug trade and established a drug joint at her residence.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State, arrested a South African national, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 30 parcels of a cannabis strain known as Thai Loud, weighing 32.74 kilogrammes.

Babafemi said the drugs were concealed in two travelling bags carried by the suspect, who reportedly travelled from Thailand through Doha, Qatar, aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431.

According to the agency, the woman confessed to previously trafficking drugs through other African countries before extending her operations to Port Harcourt, where she was arrested.

NDLEA Intercepts 354,000 Tapentadol Tablets in Lagos

At the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, operatives intercepted 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20 kilogrammes.

The shipment, which originated from Pakistan, arrived aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight on September 29 and was placed under surveillance.

Babafemi said a joint examination conducted on October 6 uncovered the tablets concealed in nine cartons.

In another operation at the Lagos airport, officers intercepted 70 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, weighing 75.90 kilogrammes.

The consignment was reportedly concealed in six Ghana-Must-Go bags contained in consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom.

The agency said a clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was arrested on September 30, while an Uber driver, Taofiq Ajibola, 54, was apprehended while attempting to collect one of the bags at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi.

Two other suspects, Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, were subsequently arrested when they allegedly arrived to collect the remaining five bags.

According to Babafemi, Ajibola claimed the drugs were sent by a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu, while Dosunmu reportedly said his consignment came from another UK-based individual identified as Yusuf.

In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 46-year-old suspect, Adama Inuwa, in Iyala Nkun village, Ikom Local Government Area, on Sunday, October 4, following surveillance.

The operation led to the recovery of 181 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,100 kilogrammes, alongside 17.15 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, officers intercepted a black Toyota Camry conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83 kilogrammes at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on Monday, October 5.

The agency said three suspects — Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

A separate raid at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, led to the arrest of 26-year-old Ojugo Mercy, with 989 grammes of Loud, 13 grammes of Colorado and 83 grammes of methamphetamine recovered.

In Ondo State, operatives arrested 21-year-old Happy Endurance at her hideout in the Shasha area of Akure on October 5, recovering 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290 kilogrammes.

Another raid at an apartment in Oba-Ile, Akure, on the same day resulted in the arrest of 42-year-old Tunde Adebayo, with 35 bags of cannabis weighing 351 kilogrammes.

Meanwhile, in Lagos, NDLEA officers arrested Musbau Balogun Adekunle in the Orile area on Tuesday, October 6, with 32.51 kilogrammes of skunk and 52.65 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 85.16 kilogrammes.

NDLEA Arrests Drug Suspects in Taraba, Kano, Kaduna

In Taraba State, operatives supported by soldiers arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, in Chanchanji village, Wukari Local Government Area, on Friday, October 9.

Babafemi said the suspects were found with 166,200 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 107 kilogrammes.

In Kano State, a stop-and-search operation along the Kano-Maiduguri Road on October 9 led to the arrest of 32-year-old Yahaya Musa.

The agency said 24,990 capsules of tramadol, 50,000 tablets of diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5 were recovered from him.

Similarly, operatives on patrol along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway arrested 29-year-old Mohammed Musa with 31 jumbo bags containing 775 blocks of skunk, with a combined weight of 1,027 kilogrammes.

Methamphetamine, Firearms Recovered in Jos

In Plateau State, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju along Rukuba Road, Jos, on Thursday, October 8.

The operation reportedly yielded 47 grammes of methamphetamine, two pump-action rifles, one locally made gun, 199 live cartridges, five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and one round of 9mm ammunition.

The agency said the seizures formed part of its ongoing nationwide operations against drug trafficking and the distribution of illicit substances.

Marwa Commends NDLEA Operatives

Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign continued across the country, with lectures delivered to students and staff of schools in Oyo, Ebonyi, Niger, Kano, Lagos and Ogun states.

The institutions reached included Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Eghugo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; and Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos State.

The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel of the Lagos, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Port Harcourt International Airport, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau Commands for their operations.

Marwa, according to Babafemi, praised the officers for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach, urging them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.

The latest operations underscore the NDLEA’s continued efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks, seize illicit substances and arrest suspects across the country.