NDLEA apprehend Nigerian-American grandmother, South African woman with drugs at Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis known as loud, allegedly imported from the United States.

The agency also arrested a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, with 36.65kg of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

The NDLEA disclosed the arrests on Sunday, adding that its operatives recovered large quantities of illicit drugs during separate operations across Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta states.

The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said Qhina was arrested on October 7, 2026, at the departure hall of the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa through Doha.

Babafemi said the arrest was part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to prevent drug trafficking through Nigeria’s airports and other entry and exit points.

The NDLEA also reported additional drug seizures during operations in several states, although further details of those recoveries were not provided in the statement quoted.

“A search of her two travelling bags led to the recovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg, laced with dried pepper, wrapped in cello tape and packed into seven separate parcels.

“During her interview, she told operatives she arrived in Nigeria on 30th September specifically to pick up the consignment. She said she was recruited by another South African lady, who promised her R20,000 on successful delivery.

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

“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 on Wednesday, 21st October, arrested a 62-year-old grandma Anetor Gloria Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds both Nigerian and US passports.

“She was arrested following her arrival on a United Airlines flight from Houston. A search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of loud, a synthetic cannabis weighing 9.45kg, concealed with gift wrapping paper in a box.

“She claimed the box was delivered to her home in the US by her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law, for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, Jibola.

Meanwhile, operatives of a special operations unit in NDLEA on Friday, 23rd October arrested Eletu Rasheedat, 41, at Eti Osa in area of Lagos where they recovered 5,820 pills of diazepam, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies.

In Delta, a suspect Peter Ugochukwu, 51, was arrested in Warri with a huge cache of pharmaceutical opioids including 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.

He was transferred along with a white Hummer bus from the Nigeria Police Force, Delta State. In a separate arrest at Enhere Junction, Warri, a 46-year-old physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Monday 19th October with 6.0kg of skunk.

A 41-year-old suspect Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi, was arrested on Monday 19th October in Adamasingba, Ibadan, following his initial escape from arrest when NDLEA officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis sativa from his house on 16th September.

The agency said a raid in Gerawa area of Kano on Thursday 22nd October led to the arrest of Murtala Lawan, 30, and seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97.2kg,

NDLEA officers at the Lankaviri checkpoint, Yorro LGA, Taraba on Friday 23rd October arrested Raiyanu Misa, 39, with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.

The same day, the Nigeria Police Force handed over a suspect arrested at Dakka village, Bali LGA, with 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.

In Niger state, Emmanuel Ekene, 26, was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Monday 19th October on the Sabo-Kainji road, Borgu LGA, with 64,000 pills of opioids including tramadol and diazepam, while officers arrested Jamilu Mustapha, (aka Last Card), 45, on Wednesday 21st October at Nasaru Town, Ningi LGA, Bauchi state where they seized 379kg of cannabis sativa packed in seven jumbo sacks.

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

Two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West LGA, Edo state, with an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg, were destroyed on Sunday 18th October by NDLEA operatives who also burnt 450kg of processed cannabis at the site and took 97kg as exhibit. In a related operation at Ewe community, Owan West, Mary Edokhai, 42, was arrested with 35kg of same psychoactive substance.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Oje Grammar School, Ibadan, Oyo state;

Government Day Secondary School, Kwamba, Niger state; Baptist Primary School, Olorunda, Ogun state; Government Secondary School, Yalea, Kano; Community Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu; Urban Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra; and Kelebe Community Grammar School, Osogbo, Osun state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Kano, Lagos, Bauchi, Niger, Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Oyo and Delta Commands for their vigilance, diligence, professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the tempo of the war against drug trafficking and substance abuse.

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