An 85-year-old grandmother identified as Grace Ehimeka, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State.

The suspect, also known as Mama Grace was arrested with 15 bags of cannabis weighing 179kg, alongside five other suspected drug traffickers.

The NDLEA Commander, Edo State, Mitchell Ofoyeju, who disclosed this on Monday in a statement he made available to journalists in Benin, said the suspects were arrested during coordinated raids across the Owan East Local Government Area of the state.

He added that the operation also led to the recovery of 407.39kg of cannabis, 546 grams of loud, 114 grams of tramadol, four grams of diazepam, and three grams of swinol.

Ofoyeju, while naming Ali Garba, 57 years old; Habib Braimoh, 45 years old; Musa Mubid, 35 years old; Ayo Aigberadion, 53 years old; and Hope Okoro, 35 years old as other suspects arrested during the raids, said they were apprehended at Warake, Ivbiaro, and Ewe Uzeba communities following actionable intelligence.

He warned that old age is no excuse for criminality and assured that the command remains committed to ridding the state of illicit drugs, adding: “The NDLEA Act is clear: you cannot hide under the canopy of old age and perpetrate acts that violate the law. The octogenarian, Grace Ehimeka, was apprehended on October 16, 2026, in her house at Warake community. This is a bad example for her children and grandchildren,” Ofoyeju stated.

The grandmother in her confessional statement admitted ownership of the illicit drugs while begging for forgiveness.

“I am a widow and started selling cannabis over two years ago just to survive. My family members have warned me to stop, but I kept postponing my decision to stop. Officers, if you give me another chance, I will never sell cannabis again,” she pleaded.

In a related operation in the Ivbiaro community on October 15, operatives arrested 57-year-old Ali Garba with 5.85 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, while 45-year-old Habib Braimoh was arrested the same day with 100 grams of the same substance.

Also arrested in the Warake community was 35-year-old Musa Mubid, who was found in possession of two kilograms of Cannabis sativa, 309 grams of Cannabis sativa seeds, 114 grams of “loud” (a potent cannabis strain), and 135 grams of assorted pharmaceuticals, including Tramadol, Swinol, and Diazepam.

Similarly, 53-year-old Ayo Aigberadion was arrested in Ewe/Irue, Owan East LGA, on October 16 with 220.8 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, while 35-year-old Hope Okoro was apprehended in Auchi town, Ndukwa West LGA of Delta State, with 237 grams of loud.

Ofoyeju stated that the arrests and drug seizures are part of the agency’s renewed drive to eliminate criminal elements from the state.

The NDLEA urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to assist in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.