• Seizes drugs across states, recovers rifles, ammunition in Plateau

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has re-arrested an 83-year-old woman, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, barely a year after her conviction for drug offences, and arrested a South African woman with 32.74kg of cannabis at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State.

The agency also intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs across several states and recovered firearms and ammunition in Plateau State.

According to the NDLEA, Uloma was arrested on October 7 at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Council of Abia State, with methamphetamine and Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, allegedly concealed around her waist with a wrapper.

Her arrest followed intelligence reports that she operated a drug joint allegedly harbouring criminal elements terrorising the community.

She was first arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi. The agency said operatives recovered methamphetamine, skunk, fresh cannabis leaves and 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.

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

The agency said the suspect arrived from Thailand through Doha aboard a Qatar Airways flight and admitted to previously trafficking drugs through other African countries.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, operatives intercepted 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol, each containing 250mg, weighing 307.2kg, in nine cartons shipped from Pakistan.

In another operation, 75.9kg of Colorado was recovered from six Ghana-Must-Go bags in a consignment from the United Kingdom.

Four suspects, including a clearing agent, an Uber driver and a clothing trader, were arrested in connection with the shipment.

In Cross River State, operatives arrested Adama Inuwa, 46, at Iyala Nkun village, Ikom, recovering 1,100kg of cannabis in 181 bags and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, three suspects were arrested after operatives intercepted a vehicle conveying 1,049 blocks of cannabis weighing 702.83kg at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area. Another suspect was arrested in Benin City with Loud, Colorado and methamphetamine.

In Ondo State, two separate operations in Akure led to the recovery of 641kg of cannabis and the arrest of two suspects.

In Taraba, two men were arrested at Chanchanji village, Wukari, with 166,200 tramadol tablets. A separate operation in Kano led to the recovery of tramadol, diazepam and Exol-5 tablets.

Kaduna operatives also seized 1,027kg of skunk along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway, while a suspect arrested in Orile, Lagos, had 85.16kg of skunk and cannabis seeds.

In Jos, Plateau State, a raid on the residence of Christian Chukwudi Uju, 45, led to the recovery of methamphetamine, two pump-action rifles, a locally made gun, 199 live cartridges and six rounds of other ammunition.