The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis known as loud imported from the United States.…...
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis known as loud imported from the United States.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, October 25, 2026, the agency said the arrests were part of operations that led to the recovery of large consignments of illicit drugs across Lagos, Delta, Kano, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba and Oyo states.
Qhina was arrested at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on October 7 while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa through Doha.
A search of her two travelling bags led to the recovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. The drugs were mixed with dried pepper, wrapped in cello tape and packed into seven separate parcels.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly told operatives that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to collect the consignment. She said another South African woman recruited her and promised to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery.
She also identified two other alleged members of the syndicate, one based in the United States and the other a Lagos-based car dealer.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the 46-year-old car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14 at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, after days of surveillance at his Shasha residence.
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The agency said Umunnakwe admitted receiving Qhina at the airport, lodging her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin and later moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her departure.
In another operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives arrested Ubong on Wednesday, October 21, after her arrival aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston, United States.
The 62-year-old realtor, who resides in Richmond, Texas, and holds Nigerian and US passports, was found with 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg, concealed with gift-wrapping paper inside a box in her checked-in luggage.
She reportedly claimed that her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law delivered the box to her home in the United States for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola.
Meanwhile, operatives of an NDLEA special operations unit arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in the Eti-Osa area of Lagos on Friday, October 23.
The operation led to the recovery of 5,820 pills of diazepam, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies.
In Delta State, operatives arrested 51-year-old Peter Ugochukwu in Warri over a large cache of pharmaceutical opioids.
The seized substances included 29,350 capsules of tramadol, 6,620 tablets of tramadol 200mg, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 tablets of Rohypnol, 3,500 tablets of diazepam, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection. Quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol were also recovered.
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Ugochukwu was transferred to the agency alongside a white Hummer bus by the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State.
In a separate operation at Enhere Junction, Warri, a 46-year-old physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, was arrested on Monday, October 19, with 6kg of skunk.
In Oyo State, 41-year-old Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi was arrested on October 19 in the Adamasingba area of Ibadan after allegedly evading arrest when NDLEA officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis from his residence on September 16.
In Kano State, a raid in the Gerawa area on Thursday, October 22, led to the arrest of 30-year-old Murtala Lawan and the seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis weighing 97.2kg.
Similarly, operatives at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State arrested 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa on Friday, October 23, with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.
On the same day, the Nigeria Police Force handed over another suspect arrested at Dakka village in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State. The suspect was found with 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.
In Niger State, 26-year-old Emmanuel Ekene was arrested on Monday, October 19, along the Sabo-Kainji Road in Borgu Local Government Area with 64,000 pills of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
In Bauchi State, operatives arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, also known as Last Card, at Nasaru Town in Ningi Local Government Area on Wednesday, October 21. The operation led to the seizure of 379kg of cannabis packed in seven jumbo sacks.
The agency also reported major cannabis seizures in Ondo and Edo states.
Acting on intelligence, NDLEA operatives raided a farm at Board-Ala in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State on Tuesday, October 20, recovering 56 bags of abandoned cannabis weighing 583kg.
In Edo State, two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, were destroyed on Sunday, October 18. The farms had an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg of cannabis.
Operatives also burnt 450kg of processed cannabis at the site and retained 97kg as exhibits. In a related operation at Ewe community in Owan West, 42-year-old Mary Edokhai was arrested with 35kg of the substance.
The NDLEA also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign, organising enlightenment programmes in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across the country.
The schools reached included Oje Grammar School in Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Day Secondary School, Kwamba, Niger State; Baptist Primary School, Olorunda, Ogun State; Government Secondary School, Yalea, Kano State; Community Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu State; Urban Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State; and Kelebe Community Grammar School, Osogbo, Osun State, among others.
Commending officers and men of the MMIA, Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta commands for their vigilance, professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged them and their colleagues nationwide to sustain efforts against drug trafficking and substance abuse.