NDLEA ARRESTS 83-YEAR-OLD REPEAT OFFENDER, SOUTH AFRICAN WOMAN IN DRUG BUSTS

NDLEA ARRESTS 83-YEAR-OLD REPEAT OFFENDER, SOUTH AFRICAN WOMAN IN DRUG BUSTS 

By Jennifer Nwosu 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has rearrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, barely a year after she was convicted of drug offences, while also arresting a South African woman with 32.74kg of cannabis at the Port Harcourt International Airport. The operations formed part of nationwide raids that uncovered large consignments of illicit drugs and weapons.

In a statement released by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA said Uloma was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, with methamphetamine and Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, tied around her waist with a wrapper. Intelligence indicated that she operated a drug joint allegedly used by criminal elements terrorising the community.

Uloma was first arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, with 50g of methamphetamine, 522g of skunk, 260g of fresh cannabis leaves and 12g of tramadol. Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months in prison or a fine of ₦200,000 each. They paid the fines and were released but, according to the NDLEA, Uloma returned to drug trafficking and subsequently established the alleged drug hub.

At the Port Harcourt International Airport in Omagwa, Rivers State, officers working with the Nigeria Customs Service arrested South African national Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie with 30 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 32.74kg. She had travelled from Thailand through Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR1431 and reportedly admitted to previous drug trafficking trips to other African countries before attempting to extend her operations to Port Harcourt.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 307.20kg, in nine cartons shipped from Pakistan aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight. The consignment was placed under surveillance upon arrival on September 29 and examined on October 6. In a separate operation, officers recovered 70 parcels of Colorado weighing 75.90kg from six Ghana-Must-Go bags in a consolidated shipment from the United Kingdom.

The investigation led to the arrests of clearing agent John Edrah, 54, on September 30; Uber driver Taofiq Ajibola, 54, who was collecting one bag at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi; Adetunji Adebayo; and clothing trader Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, who came for the remaining five bags. Ajibola identified a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa'idu, as the sender of his consignment, while Dosunmu said his shipment came from another UK-based man identified as Yusuf.

Further operations across the country resulted in multiple drug seizures. In Cross River State, Adama Inuwa, 46, was arrested on October 4 in Iyala Nkun village, Ikom Local Government Area, with 181 bags of cannabis weighing 1,100kg and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds. In Edo State, officers intercepted a black Toyota Camry at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on October 5, recovering 1,049 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 702.83kg. Monday Orji, 52, Monday Lawal, 40, and Precious Uduegele, 20, were arrested. In a separate raid at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, Ojugo Mercy, 26, was arrested with 989g of Loud, 13g of Colorado and 83g of methamphetamine.

In Ondo State, 21-year-old Happy Endurance was arrested at a hideout in Shasha, Akure, where 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290kg were recovered. A separate raid at Oba-Ile, Akure, led to the arrest of Tunde Adebayo, 42, with 35 bags weighing 351kg. In Taraba State, soldiers supported NDLEA officers in arresting Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village, Wukari Local Government Area, on October 9. They were found with 166,200 tramadol 225mg tablets weighing 107kg.

In Kano, Yahaya Musa, 32, was arrested during a stop-and-search operation along the Kano-Maiduguri road on October 9, with 24,990 tramadol capsules, 50,000 diazepam tablets and 22,000 Exol-5 tablets. In Kaduna State, Mohammed Musa, 29, was arrested along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway with 31 jumbo bags and 775 blocks of skunk weighing a combined 1,027kg. In Orile, Lagos, Musbau Balogun Adekunle was arrested on October 6 with 32.51kg of skunk and 52.65kg of its seeds.

In Plateau State, officers raided the residence of Christian Chukwudi Uju, 45, at Rukuba Road, Jos, on October 8, recovering 47g 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 also continued its' War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through school and community outreach programmes at Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Ehugbo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; Madarasatul Tarbiyatul Islamiya, Galangalan Tudun Wada, Kano State; Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos State; and Manbahu Ridwanullah Nursery and Primary School, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State, among others.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended personnel of the Lagos, MMIA, PHIA, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-led operations. He urged officers nationwide to sustain enforcement against drug trafficking while maintaining the agency's balanced approach to drug control.