The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis, popularly known as loud, allegedly imported from the United States, and a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, with 36.65kg of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The agency also announced the arrest of several suspected drug traffickers and the seizure of large quantities of illicit substances in separate operations across Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta states.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrests in a statement on Sunday, detailing how the suspects were intercepted during intelligence-led operations.
According to Babafemi, Beauty was arrested on October 7, 2026, at the airport’s departure hall while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa through Doha.
A search of her two travelling bags reportedly uncovered 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. The drugs, concealed with dried pepper, were wrapped in cellophane tape and distributed among seven parcels.
During interrogation, the suspect allegedly told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to collect the consignment. She reportedly said another South African woman recruited her and promised to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery.
Babafemi said Beauty identified two other alleged members of the trafficking network, one based in the United States and another operating as a car dealer in Lagos.
The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of the 46-year-old car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14 at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, following surveillance at his residence in Shasha.
The NDLEA spokesman said Umunnakwe admitted receiving Beauty at the airport, arranging her accommodation at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin and later moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her departure.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds Nigerian and American passports.
She was reportedly apprehended on Wednesday, October 21, upon arriving in Lagos aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston.
According to the agency, a search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg, concealed with gift-wrapping paper inside a box.
Ubong allegedly told investigators that her daughter and her daughter’s future brother-in-law had delivered the box to her residence in the United States for onward transportation to Nigeria, where it was to be handed over to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola.
Other arrests, seizures across states
The NDLEA said its Special Operations Unit arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in the Eti-Osa area of Lagos on Friday, October 23.
The operation reportedly led to the recovery of 5,820 diazepam pills, 780 tramadol tablets, 3.7kg of skunk cannabis and 230.25 litres of a substance known as skuchies.
In Delta State, operatives arrested 51-year-old Peter Ugochukwu in Warri over a large cache of pharmaceutical opioids and other substances.
Items recovered from him included 29,350 tramadol capsules, 6,620 tablets of tramadol 200mg, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 Rohypnol tablets, 3,500 diazepam tablets, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection.
Other substances allegedly recovered included tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol.
Babafemi said Ugochukwu was transferred to the agency by the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State alongside a white Hummer bus.
In another operation in the state, NDLEA officers arrested 46-year-old Helen Bakporo Samson, a physically challenged woman, at Enhere Junction, Warri, on October 19, with 6kg of skunk cannabis.
In Oyo State, 41-year-old Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi was arrested on October 19 in the Adamasingba area of Ibadan.
The agency said the suspect had earlier escaped arrest after operatives seized 197.8kg of cannabis from his residence on September 16.
In Kano State, a raid on the Gerawa area on October 22 led to the arrest of 30-year-old Murtala Lawan and the seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis weighing 97.2kg.
Similarly, officers at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State arrested 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa on October 23 with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.
The NDLEA also received a suspect from the police who had been arrested at Dakka village in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State, alongside 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.
In Niger State, 26-year-old Emmanuel Ekene was arrested on October 19 along the Sabo-Kainji Road in Borgu Local Government Area with 64,000 pills of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
Meanwhile, operatives arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, popularly known as Last Card, in Nasaru town, Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State, on October 21.
The operation led to the seizure of 379kg of cannabis packed in seven large sacks.
NDLEA destroys cannabis farms in Ondo, Edo
The agency said its operatives, acting on intelligence, raided a farm at Board-Ala in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State on October 20, recovering 56 bags of abandoned cannabis weighing 583kg.
In Edo State, two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, were destroyed on October 18.
The farms were estimated to have a potential yield of 2,023.14kg of cannabis. Operatives also burnt 450kg of processed cannabis at the location and took another 97kg as exhibits.
During a related operation in Ewe community, also in Owan West, officers arrested 42-year-old Mary Edokhai with 35kg of cannabis.
NDLEA intensifies anti-drug awareness campaigns
Beyond arrests and seizures, the agency said its commands and formations continued public sensitisation activities under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative.
The campaigns targeted students, teachers, worshippers, workers and residents in schools, religious centres and communities across the country.
Schools reached during the week included Oje Grammar School in Ibadan, Oyo State; 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.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the affected commands for their vigilance, professionalism and intelligence-led operations.
Marwa urged them and other personnel across the country to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
The agency said the operations formed part of its continuing efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks, intercept illicit substances and reduce the circulation of dangerous drugs across Nigeria.
