An 83-year-old grandmother, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, who was sentenced for drug charges less than a year ago, was re-detained by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, while a South African woman was arrested with a huge shipment of cannabis at the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State.
The disclosure was contained in a statement made available by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
The octogenarian was caught on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at her home in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa LGA of Abia State with quantities of methamphetamine and Colorado, a synthetic cannabis disguised around her waist with a wrapper.
Babafemi stated she was rearrested based on solid intelligence that she was running a notorious drug joint housing criminal elements that terrorised the town.
“She was re-arrested on credible intelligence that she was running a notorious drug joint that harboured criminal elements that terrorise the community,’’ read the statement.
Uloma was originally detained on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same spot. They also seized 50 grams of methamphetamine, 522 grams of skunk, 260 grams of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grams of tramadol.
Both women pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 apiece. The judge released them once they paid the fines.
The agency said the notorious old woman was undeterred and immediately returned to the illicit profession and upped the scale by opening a drug joint where she harbours dangerous persons.
Operatives of the NDLEA in conjunction with the Nigeria Customs Service have detained a South African woman, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie with 30 packets of Thai Loud strain of cannabis concealed in two travelling bags weighing 32.74 kilogrammes at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.
The suspect had been travelling through Doha on Qatar Airways aircraft QR1431 from Thailand.
“She admitted to having trafficked through other African countries before and was trying to extend her route to Port Harcourt when she was arrested,” Babafemi said.
The NDLEA also seized a consignment of nine cartons from Pakistan on board a Royal Air Maroc flight at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Joint checking of the consignment has revealed 354,000 pills of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20kg.
Another interdiction at the Lagos airport, where a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom was observed after its arrival on 29 September. In six Ghana-Must-Go bags, 75.90kg of a synthetic cannabinoid, Seventy packages of Colorado, was found.
The raids were part of a week-long nationwide blitz that resulted in the seizure of nearly 4,000 kilogrammes of illicit substances in Lagos, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau States between October 4 and 11, 2026.
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