Convicted 83-year-old meth dealing grandma re-arrested

NDLEA nabs South African with 32kg of Thai Loud in Port Harcourt

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An 83-year-old woman, Mrs Uloma Uchechi Sunday, has been arrested again by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for drug offences, less than two years after she was convicted for the same crime.

Operatives arrested her on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at her home in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State. Methamphetamine and Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, were found tied to her waist with a wrapper. Her arrest followed intelligence that she runs a drug joint harbouring criminals who terrorise the community.

She was first arrested on May 17, 2025, at the same residence with her daughter, Chisom, 32. They were found with 50 grams of methamphetamine, 522 grams of skunk, 260 grams of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grams of tramadol. Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or a N200,000 fine each. They paid the fine and were freed.

In a statement on Sunday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, further disclosed that NDLEA operatives and Customs officers arrested a South African, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, at Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, with 30 parcels of Thai Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 32.74kg.

The drugs were hidden in two travelling bags. She arrived from Thailand via Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR1431. She told investigators she had trafficked through other African countries and was expanding her route to Port Harcourt.

At the Import Shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, officers intercepted nine cartons from Pakistan that arrived on a Royal Air Maroc flight on September 29. A joint examination on Tuesday, October 6, found 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 307.20kg.

In a separate interdiction at the same airport, a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom, which also arrived on September 29, was found to contain 70 parcels of Colorado weighing 75.90kg in six Ghana-Must-Go bags. A clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was arrested on September 30. Taofiq Ajibola, 54, an Uber driver, was arrested while collecting one bag at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi. Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, were arrested while collecting the other five. Ajibola said the drugs were sent by a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu. Dosunmu named another UK-based man, Yusuf.

The NDLEA also carried out successful operations in the following states:

Cross River: On Sunday, October 4, officers raided Iyala Nkun village, Ikom LGA, and arrested Adama Inuwa, 46, with 181 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,100kg and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds.

Edo: On Monday, October 5, operatives intercepted a Toyota Camry at Otuo, Owan East LGA, carrying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83kg. Monday Orji, 52, Monday Lawal, 40, and Precious Uduegele, 20, were arrested. In Benin City, Ojugo Mercy, 26, was arrested at Asoro with 989 grams of Loud, 13 grams of Colorado and 83 grams of methamphetamine.

Ondo: On Monday, October 5, Happy Endurance, 21, was trailed to Shasha, Akure, where 290kg of cannabis in 29 bags was recovered. The same day, Tunde Adebayo, 42, was arrested at Oba-Ile, Akure, with 351kg of cannabis in 35 bags.

Kaduna: Mohammed Musa, 29, was arrested on the Zaria-Kaduna expressway with 31 jumbo bags and 775 blocks of skunk weighing 1,027kg.

Taraba: On Friday, October 9, operatives and soldiers arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village, Wukari LGA, with 166,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 107kg.

Kano: The same day, a stop-and-search on the Kano-Maiduguri road led to the arrest of Yahaya Musa, 32, with 24,990 capsules of Tramadol, 50,000 tablets of Diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5.

Lagos: On Tuesday, October 6, Musbau Balogun Adekunle was arrested in Orile with 32.51kg of skunk and 52.65kg of its seeds, totalling 85.16kg.

On Thursday, October 8, operatives raided the Rukuba Road, Jos, residence of Christian Chukwudi Uju, 45. They recovered 47 grams 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.

NDLEA commands also continued War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) lectures in schools, worship centres and communities. Schools visited included Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Ehugbo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; and Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (rtd), commended the Lagos, MMIA, PHIA, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau commands for their professionalism.

He urged officers nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.