Odita Sunday 
NDLEA Arrests South African Woman, US-Based Grandma with Cocaine, Loud
….Agency recovers tonnes of illicit drugs in nine states, arrests physically challenged woman in Delta
By Odita Sunday
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis, popularly known as loud, imported from the United States.
The arrests came as the agency intensified nationwide operations, recovering tonnes of illicit drugs in Kano, Lagos, Delta, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba and Oyo states.
The NDLEA also arrested a physically challenged woman in Delta State and dismantled cannabis farms in Edo State as part of its renewed offensive against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
According to Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Qhina was arrested on October 7, 2026, at the departure hall of the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa through Doha.
Babafemi said a search of her two travelling bags led to the recovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg, concealed with dried pepper, wrapped in cello tape and packed into seven separate parcels.
He said during interrogation, the suspect told operatives that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to collect the consignment.
According to Babafemi, Qhina claimed she was recruited by another South African woman, who promised to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery.
The NDLEA spokesman said the suspect also disclosed that she was introduced to two other members of the drug syndicate, one based in the United States and the other a Lagos-based car dealer.
Babafemi said the disclosure led to the arrest of the alleged car dealer, 46-year-old Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14.
He said Umunnakwe was intercepted at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, after operatives conducted days of surveillance at his Shasha residence.
According to him, the suspect admitted receiving Qhina at the airport, lodging her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin and subsequently moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her departure.
In another operation at the Lagos airport, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives arrested Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, following her arrival from Houston aboard a United Airlines flight on Wednesday, October 21.
He said the grandmother, who holds Nigerian and United States passports, was arrested after officers searched her two checked-in boxes and discovered 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg.
Babafemi said the synthetic cannabis was concealed with gift-wrapping paper inside a box.
According to him, Ubong told investigators that the consignment was delivered to her home in the United States by her daughter and the daughter’s prospective brother-in-law for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola.
Meanwhile, Babafemi said operatives of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit on Friday, October 23, arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in the Eti Osa area of Lagos.
He said the operation led to the recovery of 5,820 pills of diazepam, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies.
In Delta State, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives arrested 51-year-old Peter Ugochukwu in Warri with a large consignment of pharmaceutical opioids.
He listed the drugs recovered to include 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.
The agency also recovered quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol.
Babafemi said Ugochukwu was transferred to the NDLEA alongside a white Hummer bus from the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State.
In a separate operation at Enhere Junction, Warri, he said operatives arrested a 46-year-old physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, on Monday, October 19, with 6kg of skunk.
The NDLEA spokesman said the agency also recorded a breakthrough in Oyo State with the arrest of 41-year-old Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi in Adamasingba, Ibadan, on October 19.
He said the suspect was arrested after initially escaping when NDLEA officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis from his residence on September 16.
In Kano State, Babafemi said a raid at Gerawa area on Thursday, October 22, led to the arrest of 30-year-old Murtala Lawan and the recovery of 159 blocks of cannabis weighing 97.2kg.
Similarly, he said NDLEA operatives at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State arrested 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa on Friday, October 23, with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.
The same day, Babafemi said the Nigeria Police Force handed over a suspect arrested at Dakka village, Bali Local Government Area, with 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.
In Niger State, he said NDLEA operatives arrested 26-year-old Emmanuel Ekene on October 19 along the Sabo-Kainji road in Borgu Local Government Area.
The suspect was found with 64,000 pills of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
In Bauchi State, Babafemi said operatives arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, popularly known as Last Card, on October 21 at Nasaru Town, Ningi Local Government Area.
The operation led to the seizure of 379kg of cannabis packed in seven jumbo sacks.
The NDLEA spokesman said the agency also uncovered a cannabis farm at Board-Ala, Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, following an intelligence-driven operation on October 20.
The raid led to the recovery of 56 bags of abandoned cannabis weighing 583kg.
In Edo State, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives destroyed two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, on October 18.
He said the farms had an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg of cannabis.
Operatives also destroyed 450kg of processed cannabis at the location and took 97kg as exhibits.
In a related operation at Ewe community, Owan West, Babafemi said the agency arrested 42-year-old Mary Edokhai with 35kg of cannabis.
Beyond arrests and seizures, the NDLEA spokesman said its commands and formations across the country sustained sensitisation activities under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
He said the enlightenment programmes were held in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities to educate Nigerians on the dangers of drug abuse.
Among the institutions reached were Oje Grammar School, 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.
Babafemi said the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and men of the MMIA, Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta commands for their vigilance, professionalism and intelligence-driven operations.
He said Marwa urged personnel across the country to sustain the offensive against drug trafficking and substance abuse, stressing the need for continued commitment to the agency’s mandate.
According to Babafemi, the NDLEA chairman said the latest operations demonstrated the importance of intelligence-led enforcement in disrupting drug networks and preventing illicit substances from reaching communities.
About the Author
