NDLEA arrests S’African woman, US-based grandma with large cocaine, loud shipments

….nabs physically challenged lady in Delta

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 Lagos International Airport and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis, popularly known as loud, imported from the United States.

In separate operations across the country, the agency also recovered large quantities of illicit drugs in Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta states, according to a statement issued by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.

Qhina was arrested at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on October 7, 2026, while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha. A search of her two travel bags led to the recovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. The drugs were mixed with dried pepper, wrapped in cellophane tape and packed into seven separate parcels.

During questioning, she told operatives that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to collect the consignment.

She said another South African woman had recruited her and promised to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery.

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She claimed she was introduced to two other members of the syndicate, one based in the United States and the other a Lagos-based car dealer.

Investigations subsequently led to the arrest of the 46-year-old car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14. He was intercepted at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, after days of surveillance at his residence in Shasha.

He 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 interdiction operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers arrested 62-year-old Anetor Gloria Ubong on October 21. Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, holds both Nigerian and United States passports. She was arrested upon arrival on a United Airlines flight from Houston.

A search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of loud weighing 9.45kg, concealed with gift-wrapping paper inside a box.

She claimed the box had been delivered to her home in the United States by her daughter and her daughter’s future brother-in-law for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, Jibola.

Meanwhile, operatives of an NDLEA special operations unit arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in the Eti-Osa area of Lagos on Friday. They recovered 5,820 pills of diazepam, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies.

In Delta State, a suspect, Peter Ugochukwu, was arrested in Warri with a large quantity of pharmaceutical opioids and other illicit substances. The drugs recovered 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, 200 ampoules of diazepam injection, and quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol.

In a separate operation at Enhere Junction, Warri, NDLEA operatives arrested a 46-year-old physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, on October 19 with 6kg of skunk.

Also on October 19, a 41-year-old suspect, Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi, was arrested in Adamasingba, Ibadan, following his earlier escape from arrest. NDLEA officers had seized 197.8kg of cannabis sativa from his house on September 16.

A raid in the Gerawa area of Kano on October 22 led to the arrest of Murtala Lawan and the seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97.2kg.

At the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State, NDLEA officers arrested Raiyanu Misa on October 23 with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.

On the same day, the Nigeria Police Force handed over a suspect who had been arrested in Dakka village, Bali Local Government Area, with 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.

In Niger State, Emmanuel Ekene was arrested by NDLEA operatives on October 19 along the Sabo-Kainji Road in Borgu Local Government Area with 64,000 opioid pills, including tramadol and diazepam.

In Bauchi State, officers arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, also known as Last Card, on October 21 in Nasaru town, Ningi Local Government Area. They seized 379kg of cannabis sativa packed in seven jumbo sacks.

Acting on intelligence, NDLEA officers raided a farm at Board-Ala, Akure South, Ondo State, on October 20 and recovered 56 bags of abandoned cannabis sativa weighing 583kg.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area, on October 18. The farms had an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg of cannabis. The operatives also burnt 450kg of processed cannabis at the site and took 97kg as exhibits.

In a related operation in Ewe community, Owan West, Mary Edokhai was arrested with 35kg of the same psychoactive substance.

Meanwhile, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, places of worship, workplaces and communities during the past week.

Commending officers and men of the MMIA, Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta commands for their vigilance, diligence, professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse.