NDLEA Re-Arrests 83-Year-Old Drug Convict, Arrest South African Woman With 32.74kg Cannabis

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has re-arrested an 83-year-old grandmother, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, barely a year after she was convicted for drug offences, and arrested a South African woman with a large consignment of cannabis at the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State.

NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, October 11, 2026.

The octogenarian was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, with quantities of methamphetamine and Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, concealed around her waist with a wrapper.

Babafemi said her re-arrest followed credible intelligence indicating that she operated a notorious drug joint that harboured criminal elements who terrorised the community.

“Her re-arrest followed credible intelligence indicating that she runs a notorious drug joint that harbours criminal elements who terrorise the community,” the statement read.

Uloma was first arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence. Operatives recovered 50 grams of methamphetamine, 522 grams of skunk, 260 grams of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grams of tramadol from them.

Both women pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each. They paid the fines and were released by the court.

“Undeterred, the notorious old woman promptly returned to the criminal trade and escalated the scale by setting up a drug joint where she harbours dangerous characters,” the agency added.

At the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, NDLEA operatives working with the Nigeria Customs Service arrested a South African woman, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 30 parcels of Thai Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 32.74 kilogrammes, concealed in two travelling bags.

The suspect had travelled from Thailand via Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431.

“She confessed to having previously trafficked through other African countries, and was expanding her route to Port Harcourt when she was caught,” Babafemi stated.

The NDLEA also intercepted a consignment of nine cartons from Pakistan aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. A joint examination of the shipment uncovered 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20kg.

In another interdiction at the Lagos airport, a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom was monitored after arriving on September 29. Six Ghana-Must-Go bags were found to contain 70 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid weighing 75.90kg.

The operations were part of a week-long nationwide offensive that led to the seizure of over 4,000 kilogrammes of illicit drugs across Lagos, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau States between October 4 and 11, 2026.