Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a South African woman with 36.65 kilograms of cocaine and a Nigerian-American grandmother with 9.45 kilograms of synthetic cannabis at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, in separate operations this month.
The agency also reported recovering large quantities of illicit drugs in raids across Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta states.
Cocaine bound for South Africa
Qhina Beauty, 34, was arrested at the airport’s departure hall on October 7 as she tried to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha. A search of her two bags turned up 30 blocks of cocaine, laced with dried pepper and packed into seven parcels.
She told investigators she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 to collect the consignment. She said another South African woman recruited her and promised her R20,000 on successful delivery, and that she was introduced to two other syndicate members, one in the United States and one a Lagos-based car dealer.
That lead resulted in the October 14 arrest of the car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, 46, who was intercepted at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, after days of surveillance at his Shasha residence. He admitted receiving Qhina at the airport and lodging her at two hotels near the airport before her departure.
Grandmother arrested with “loud” from the US
On Wednesday, October 21, officers arrested Anetor Gloria Ubong, 62, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds Nigerian and US passports. She arrived on a United Airlines flight from Houston. Two checked boxes contained 18 parcels of “loud,” a synthetic cannabis, weighing 9.45kg and concealed with gift wrapping paper.
She claimed her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law delivered the box to her home in the US, to be passed on in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, Jibola.
Other operations
- Lagos: On October 23, a special operations unit arrested Eletu Rasheedat, 41, in Eti Osa, recovering 5,820 pills of diazepam, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of “skuchies.”
- Delta: Peter Ugochukwu, 51, was arrested in Warri with a large cache of pharmaceutical opioids, including 29,350 capsules of tramadol, 6,620 tablets of tramadol 200mg, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup and 11,340 tablets of Rohypnol. He was transferred, along with a white Hummer bus, from the Nigeria Police Force, Delta State. Separately, Helen Bakporo Samson, 46, a physically challenged woman, was arrested at Enhere Junction, Warri, on October 19 with 6.0kg of skunk.
- Oyo: Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi, 41, was arrested on October 19 in Adamasingba, Ibadan, after initially escaping arrest when officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis sativa from his house on September 16.
- Kano: A raid in Gerawa on October 22 led to the arrest of Murtala Lawan, 30, and the seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97.2kg.
- Taraba: At the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro LGA, Raiyanu Misa, 39, was arrested on October 23 with 60.175kg of compressed cannabis. The same day, police handed over a suspect arrested at Dakka village, Bali LGA, with 81.49kg.
- Niger: Emmanuel Ekene, 26, was arrested on October 19 on the Sabo-Kainji road, Borgu LGA, with 64,000 opioid pills, including tramadol and diazepam.
- Bauchi: Jamilu Mustapha, 45, also known as “Last Card,” was arrested on October 21 in Ningi LGA with 379kg of cannabis sativa packed in seven jumbo sacks.
- Ondo: Acting on intelligence, officers raided a farm at Board-Ala, Akure South, on October 20 and recovered 56 bags of abandoned cannabis sativa weighing 583kg.
- Edo: Two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West LGA, with an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg, were destroyed on October 18. Operatives burnt 450kg of processed cannabis and kept 97kg as exhibit. In a related operation in Ewe community, Mary Edokhai, 42, was arrested with 35kg of cannabis.
Sensitization activities
The agency’s commands also continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities. Lectures were held at schools in Oyo, Niger, Ogun, Kano, Enugu, Anambra and Osun states, among others.
Chairman’s commendation
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers of the MMIA, Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta commands for their vigilance, professionalism and intelligence-driven approach. He urged them and their colleagues nationwide to sustain the tempo of the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
The details were contained in a statement issued on Sunday, October 25, 2026, by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy.
