The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother for allegedly dealing in cannabis and intercepted consignments of illicit drugs worth more than ₦4.4 billion across Nigeria. The operations were carried out across the country’s land and maritime borders during the past week, with seizures ranging from cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine to tramadol, codeine, diazepam and rohypnol.
The agency arrested 101-year-old Esther Ogunmabo in Ilisan, Ogun State, on August 15, with 90 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets. The centenarian reportedly told operatives that she sold the cannabis to locals after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. One of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, allegedly supplied the drug to her every four days. Because of her advanced age, NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and placed on counselling, while her daughter was arrested.
In Akwa Ibom, operatives intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas that was allegedly transporting drugs to fishing settlements in Cameroon. Three suspects were arrested with a combined 42.622kg of narcotics. The NDLEA recorded its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor, intercepting two containers of Thai Loud at the Apapa and Lekki ports with a combined street value of more than ₦4.4 billion. At Apapa Port, operatives found 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud hidden in a container declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries. At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container was found to contain 400kg of Thai Loud concealed among pallets of A4 paper.
The arrest of a 101-year-old grandmother is a startling reminder of the reach of the drug trade. The interception of containers from Thailand suggests that new trafficking routes are being exploited. The NDLEA’s operations are a significant blow to drug syndicates. The challenge is to sustain the momentum and dismantle the networks behind the trade.
The winners: the NDLEA, which has made significant seizures; and the Nigerian public, who are protected from illicit drugs. The losers: the drug syndicates, who have lost product; and the Nigerian government, which must sustain the fight.
Bottom Line: A 101-year-old grandmother is in trouble for drug dealing. ₦4.4 billion in drugs has been seized. The question is whether the arrests will disrupt the trade or just scratch the surface.